New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has firmly rejected China’s objections to India’s recent formal identification of 27 places and features in Arunachal Pradesh by their standard names on the official Indian map. The MEA reiterated on Tuesday that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, a reality that cannot be altered.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, responding to questions regarding China’s stance, stated, "Arunachal is an inalienable and integral part of India. This is a fact which is self-evident and nothing can change this reality."
India’s decision to formally identify these locations comes in response to China’s repeated practice of renaming places within Arunachal Pradesh. Last week, India officially marked these 27 places and features on the Survey of India map of Arunachal Pradesh. An official statement clarified that this action aims to facilitate their accurate recognition and enhance public awareness.
New Delhi has consistently dismissed China’s attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, branding such moves as "vain and preposterous." India maintains that these actions will not change the undeniable reality that the state "was, is, and will" always remain an integral part of India.
Among the 27 locations formally marked on India’s official map is Long Ju, situated along the Line of Actual Control. This site was an early flashpoint in India-China relations in 1959 when Chinese forces encroached upon the area.
On Monday, China labeled India’s move to identify the 27 places as "illegal, null and void." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun asserted that "China does not recognise the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ illegally set up by India." He further stated, "India’s move of attempting to replace names long been used by China with its so-called ‘standard names’ is illegal, null and void." Guo Jiakun concluded by emphasizing, "Still less will it change the fact that Zangnan region belongs to China." China refers to Tibet as Xizang and Arunachal Pradesh as Zangnan.
Since 2017, China’s Civil Affairs Ministry has periodically released Chinese names for various locations in Arunachal Pradesh, aimed at asserting China’s territorial claims. The most recent set of these names was released in April of this year.
New Delhi has consistently rejected China’s efforts to assign "fictitious names" to Indian territory. India asserts that such attempts to create "baseless narratives" cannot alter the "undeniable reality" and could potentially derail efforts to normalize bilateral ties.
