11 places in Arunachal Pradesh are renamed by China to ‘provoke’ India. The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs announced a set of names in Chinese, Tibetan, and pinyin characters on geographical names issued by the Chinese State Council or cabinet on Monday. It refers to “Zangnan, Tibet’s southernmost region.”
China has issued new names for 11 locations in Arunachal Pradesh. It has reignited debate about its claim to the state, which it refers to as “Zangnan, the southern section of Tibet.”
Surprisingly, China has ‘renamed’ locations in Arunachal Pradesh for the third time. The first two such lists were released in 2018 and 2021. China issued a list of six names in 2017, days after the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, while in 2021 it ‘renamed’ 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh.
Consequently, India reacted angrily to the move. On both occasions, New Delhi fiercely opposed China’s assertions, claiming that the state which stated that Arunachal Pradesh has “always been” and would “always be” a vital part of India, and that granting “created” names does not change that reality.
Arindam Bagchi, a spokeswoman for India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a statement. He said, “Such reports have been seen. This is not the first time China has attempted something like this. We categorically oppose this. Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India. Efforts to give fictitious names would not change this fact.”
According to the news site, the list includes accurate coordinates for two land tracts, two residential areas, five mountain summits, and two rivers, as well as their subordinate administrative districts.
Beijing has also issued a map depicting Arunachal Pradesh within the southern Tibetan zone, including a settlement near the state capital of Itanagar.
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