Arunachal Pradesh 'Is and Will Always Be India': MEA Hits Back at China's Latest Renaming Attempt

India Rejects China's Latest Renaming of Places in Arunachal Pradesh

India has strongly rebuffed attempts by China to rename certain locations within the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, asserting unequivocally that the region "was, is, and will always remain an integral part of India." The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement on Wednesday, May 14th, dismissing Beijing's actions as futile efforts to bolster unfounded territorial claims.

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New Delhi Dismisses 'Creative Naming' by Beijing

Responding to recent media reports about China's latest list of renamed places in Arunachal Pradesh, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal characterised Beijing's move as a continuation of "vain and preposterous attempts." He stated, "Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically." Mr. Jaiswal further emphasised, "Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral part of India."

Context of a Protracted Territorial Dispute

This is not an isolated incident; China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory (referring to it as 'South Tibet'), has previously released similar lists of "standardised" geographical names within the Indian state. Last year, Beijing issued a list of 30 such names, an action New Delhi had also firmly rejected. The Sino-Indian boundary dispute, particularly concerning Arunachal Pradesh which borders China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, remains a point of contention. While China bases its claims on historical ties to Tibet, India has consistently governed Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part since its independence.

In recent years, these territorial tensions have been further complicated by India's concerns over China's ambitious project to construct a major hydroelectric dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, upstream from where it enters India as the Siang and later flows as the Brahmaputra. India's firm rejection of China's latest renaming exercise underscores New Delhi's unwavering position on the sovereignty of Arunachal Pradesh. Such actions by Beijing are viewed by India as attempts to legitimise its territorial claims, which India consistently and categorically refutes.

Map Source: Euroasia Review