May 15, 2025
NEW DELHI – India on Wednesday sternly rejected China’s latest bid to rename some locations in Arunachal Pradesh, saying such “preposterous” attempts will not alter the “undeniable” reality that the State “was, is, and will” always remain an integral part of India.
“We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media queries on renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh by China.
“Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” Mr Jaiswal said, trashing China’s claim.
In its latest effort, China has reasserted its territorial claims near its border with India by releasing “standard” names for over a dozen places which are a part of India’s territory.
The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs had published its latest names for places in Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls Zangnan and says is part of the Tibetan autonomous region.
The renaming includes 27 places, including mountains, residential areas, mountain passes, rivers, and a lake.
India firmly maintains that Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of its sovereign territory and rejects China’s claims as illegitimate and without historical or legal basis.