New Delhi: India has issued a stern rebuke to Chinaโs continued attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh. In response to media queries, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal emphasised Indiaโs firm rejection of Chinaโs actions, stating, โAssigning invented names will not alter the reality that Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India.โ
The Ministry of External Affairs condemned Chinaโs move as โsenseless,โ asserting that Arunachal Pradesh remains an integral part of India. Despite Chinaโs persistent efforts to rename places in the region, India remains steadfast in its stance. โChina has persisted with its senseless attempts to rename places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. We firmly reject such attempts.โ
In a move that further exacerbates tensions between India and China, the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs has released a fourth list of standardized geographical names in Zangnan, the Chinese name for Arunachal Pradesh. This list includes 30 new names for various places in the Indian state, reaffirming Chinaโs claims over the region.
Despite Indiaโs steadfast rejection of Chinaโs attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, Beijing continues to assert its sovereignty over the northeastern state. India maintains that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country and dismisses Chinaโs renaming efforts as baseless and ineffective.
Chinaโs recent actions come amidst heightened tensions between the two neighbouring countries. The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairsโ decision to release a fourth list of standardized geographical names follows a series of assertive moves by Beijing to reinforce its claims over Arunachal Pradesh.
This renaming spree is not new. China previously released three lists of standardized names for places in Arunachal Pradesh, with the first list dating back to 2017. Despite Indiaโs consistent rejection and dismissal of Chinaโs claims, Beijing remains resolute in its efforts to assert control over the disputed region.
Indiaโs External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, has condemned Chinaโs repeated claims on Arunachal Pradesh as โludicrous.โ Jaishankar emphasized that Arunachal Pradesh is a natural part of India and that changing names will not alter this reality.
The latest move by China underscores the ongoing territorial disputes between the two Asian giants. The dispute over Arunachal Pradesh is just one aspect of the broader tensions between India and China, which include border disputes, military standoffs, and diplomatic confrontations.
As both countries continue to assert their respective claims, the situation in the region remains tense. Especially with Chinaโs latest renaming efforts, the prospects for de-escalation appear dim, further complicating an already contentious relationship between the two Asian powers.
