India Strongly Denies China's Renaming of Territories, Affirms Arunachal Pradesh's Status
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New Delhi, April 12 (NationPress) On Sunday, India firmly dismissed China's deceptive attempts to rename locations that rightfully belong to the nation, underscoring that regions such as Arunachal Pradesh are an "integral and inalienable part" of India.
Responding to inquiries about China's actions, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, called on China to avoid actions that could harm bilateral relations and hinder efforts for improved understanding between Beijing and New Delhi.
In his statement, Jaiswal emphasized, "India categorically rejects any deceptive attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places that constitute Indian territory. Such actions cannot change the undeniable truth that these regions, including Arunachal Pradesh, were, are, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India."
He further noted, "These actions by China are counterproductive to ongoing efforts aimed at stabilizing and normalizing India-China relations. China should refrain from behaviors that inject negativity and undermine the pursuit of better understanding."
This isn't the first time China has tried to rename locations in India. Last May, the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs announced new names for several locations in Arunachal Pradesh, which they refer to as Zangnan.
At that time, India rejected China's attempt to assign names to parts of Arunachal Pradesh, deeming the action "futile and absurd".
The MEA reiterated that such "creative naming" will not alter the reality that Arunachal Pradesh is an "integral and inalienable part of India."
In addressing media questions about China's renaming efforts, Jaiswal stated, "We have observed that China continues its futile and absurd attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. In line with our principled stance, we categorically reject these attempts. Creative naming cannot change the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India."