NEW DELHI: India has firmly rejected China’s latest attempt to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, calling the move “mischievous” and asserting that such actions cannot alter the country’s territorial reality.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India categorically rejects any attempt by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to locations that are an integral part of India.
In a statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such actions undermine ongoing efforts to stabilise and normalise India–China relations. It added that China should avoid steps that create unnecessary negativity in bilateral ties.
The response came after Beijing released a new list naming 23 places in Arunachal Pradesh, which it refers to as “Zangnan.” This marks the sixth such naming exercise in the past 10 years.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said these attempts to introduce false claims and fabricated narratives do not change the reality that Arunachal Pradesh is, was, and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India.
India also reiterated that such actions do not affect ground realities or sovereignty.
“These actions by the Chinese side detract from ongoing efforts to stabilize and normalize India-China bilateral ties. China should refrain from actions which inject negativity into relations and undermine efforts to create better understanding,” Jaiswal added.
The statement followed reports from Beijing about the creation of a new county in China’s Xinjiang region, named Cenling, near the Karakoram range and close to the borders of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Afghanistan.
