Firm Rebuttal from New Delhi on Chinese Claims Over Indian Territory
New Delhi, May 14 – India on Wednesday dismissed China's latest move to rename locations in Arunachal Pradesh as "vain and preposterous", asserting once again that the northeastern state is an integral and inalienable part of the country.The strong response from the Ministry of External Affairs followed Beijing’s announcement of new Chinese names for several places in Arunachal Pradesh, a region China continues to claim as the southern part of Tibet.
“We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh,” said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. “Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically.”
He added emphatically, “Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”
Background of China's Naming Strategy
This is not the first time China has issued a list of renamed places in Arunachal Pradesh. The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs released its first such list in 2017, followed by additional sets in 2021 and 2023. In April 2023, India had also sharply criticised a similar move involving 30 renamed locations.China's latest naming attempt comes even as the two countries are taking steps to mend bilateral ties strained by the prolonged border standoff in eastern Ladakh since 2020.
Renewed Diplomatic Engagement
Despite recurring friction, both nations have made progress in de-escalating tensions. The militaries of India and China completed troop disengagement at the remaining friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement signed on October 21 last year.Just two days after the disengagement deal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in the Russian city of Kazan. The meeting led to an agreement to revive bilateral dialogue mechanisms aimed at restoring normalcy.
Following that, India and China have held a series of meetings to strengthen diplomatic engagement. As part of the thaw in relations, the two countries last month agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which had been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and border tensions.
India Stands Firm
India’s latest rejection reinforces its consistent stance on territorial sovereignty and makes it clear that symbolic or rhetorical gestures from Beijing will not influence New Delhi’s position on Arunachal Pradesh.The issue remains a sensitive flashpoint in India-China relations, but India has reiterated that its territorial integrity is non-negotiable.
