Indian magazine cover receives flak from china but applause from global design society

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, July 29: The cover of the latest edition of India Today magazine has infuriated Chinese social media users, garnering thick and fast backlash.

The magazine’s cover shows a map of China, albeit without Tibet and Taiwan, much to the dismay of Chinese nitizens as China claims its sovereignty over both the places. While the Chinese government considers Taiwan a renegade province, it calls Tibet an autonomous region.

The flak on social media ranges from calling the magazine bad to calling it petty and immature, and it remains to be seen what impact it will have on the escalating border dispute between the two Asian super powers.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang dismissed the controversy as a ‘little trick’.

“You’re taking this ‘little trick’ seriously? Next question,” South China Morning post quoted Lu Kang was as saying in its report.

However, not everyone was sour about the magazine’s cover. The cover illustration with the headline, ‘China’s New Chick’ on China and Pakistan’s growing friendship has made it to the ‘The Cover of the Day’ of the New York-based Society of Publication Designers (SPD) which features the best of cover designs of magazines around the world on its website.

“India Today magazine has always been associated with insightful and investigative journalism. The magazine’s cover photos and illustrations have consistently pushed the boundaries of creativity and never disappointed its readers,” the India Today said in a press release on its website.