'Senseless attempts': India rejects China renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh
The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday voiced its strong disapproval over China's recent attempt to rename various locations in Arunachal Pradesh. In a statement, the MEA said, "China has persisted with its senseless attempts to rename places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh." The ministry added that such attempts will not alter the reality that the state "is, has been, and will always be" an integral and inalienable part of India.
Why does this story matter?
China, over the weekend, has released another list of geographical names of "Zangnan"—which is its term for Arunachal Pradesh. Beijing maintains that this region is part of south Tibet. The list, published on the ministry's official website, includes 30 new names for various geographical features and residential areas within the region. This further intensifies the row between the two countries over China's claim on India's frontier state.
Indian ministers condemn China's renaming attempt
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju have both condemned China's renaming endeavor. Jaishankar questioned, "If I change the name of your house, will it become mine? Arunachal Pradesh was an Indian state, is an Indian state and will remain so in the future." Rijiju echoed this sentiment, stating that China's baseless claims won't change the ground reality or "historical facts."
US 'strongly opposes' China's claim over Arunachal Pradesh
On March 21, the United States issued a statement recognizing Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory. A senior official of the Joe Biden administration said that the US strongly opposes any unilateral attempts by China to advance its territorial claims across the Line of Actual Control. To recall, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state in March, China issued a statement saying that it does not recognize the "so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally set up by India."
India rejects China's criticism over PM's visit to Arunachal Pradesh
On March 12, India rejected China's diplomatic protest over PM Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh and said objecting to such visits or developmental projects "doesn't stand to reason." "Our stance...is clear...we consider Arunachal Pradesh an integral part of India," EAM Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement. "It will not change the reality that...Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be an integral...inalienable part of India. Chinese side has been made aware of this...on several occasions," he added.