Chinese Mischief draws sharp reactions in Arunachal Pradesh

The Chinese attempt to rename 15 locations in Arunachal Pradesh which it calls ‘Zangnan’ has evoked strong reactions in the Indian state.

Pasighat MLA Ninong Ering said that China is indulging in such unnecessary activities to take the focus away from its internal problems.

He condemned the latest Chinese move and called it ‘unfortunate’. He asserted that the people of Arunachal Pradesh are ‘patriotic’ and are all Indians.

Ering’s sentiments were also echoed by Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) president Hawa Bagan who said that such activities do not matter to the people of the state as Arunachal Pradesh is a part of India and nothing can alter that fact.

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India has already dismissed China’s move to rename 15 locations in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by Beijing as South Tibet, and said such actions will not alter the region’s status as an integral part of the country.

New Delhi’s sharp rebuttal came after China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs issued a statement that said it has “standardized” the names of 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh for use in Chinese maps. Among the 15 locations renamed by China are eight residential areas, four mountains, two rivers, and a mountain pass.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi referred to China’s move of renaming the places in Arunachal Pradesh in its own language as ‘nothing new’, as such attempts were made in 2017 as well.

Bagchi further added that Arunachal Pradesh has always been, and will always be an integral part of India. Assigning ‘invented’ names to places in Arunachal Pradesh does not change this fact.

It needs to be mentioned, China claims 90,000 sq km in Arunachal Pradesh as southern Tibet, but such claims have always been rejected by the Indian side. The latest development came against the backdrop of a standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control, which began in May last year and has taken relations to an all-time low.

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