The Indian government has strongly rejected China’s latest attempt to rename 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh, reaffirming that the state will remain an integral part of India. This marks the fifth instance China has attempted to rename villages in Arunachal Pradesh, which it refers to as ‘Zangnan.’ Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, stated, “We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in Arunachal Pradesh. Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically. Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and always will remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”
China previously renamed locations in Arunachal Pradesh in 2017, 2021, 2023, and now 2024, each time following diplomatic tensions over border disputes with India. The first renaming in 2017 coincided with a visit by the Dalai Lama, while the 2023 attempt came after a G20 meeting hosted by India in the region. This latest push for renaming follows military skirmishes between India and Pakistan after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam last week.
The renaming efforts are widely perceived as a manifestation of coercive diplomacy by Beijing to support its territorial claims. The Chinese foreign ministry emphasized, “The Zangnan region belongs to China. The recent effort to standardise the names of some places in Zangnan is fully within China’s sovereignty.” China claims not only Tawang but essentially the entire state, asserting it is part of south Tibet. Despite the Tibetan government in exile asserting that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India, China continues to claim the region based on historical and cultural ties, such as the presence of significant Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.
In a related development, the handles of Global Times and Xinhua on the social media platform X have been withheld in India following a legal request, further indicating the heightened tensions in the region.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/india-rejects-china-renaming-places-in-arunachal-calls-it-preposterous/articleshow/121169751.cms
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Publish Date: 2025-05-15 02:38:00
