China's Arunachal Pradesh Rename Bid Condemned
The renaming bid is part of a larger territorial dispute between India and China, with the region of Arunachal Pradesh being a key point of contention. India's stance on the issue remains unchanged, with the government reaffirming its commitment to the region as an integral part of the country. The dispute is likely to continue, with China's actions being seen as an attempt to assert its claim over the territory.
Major General Dhruv C Katoch has termed China's attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh as "deplorable", with India consistently rejecting such claims and reaffirming the region as an integral part of the country. China has been trying to rename several places in the state, which it claims as its own, but India has firmly refused to accept it.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has stated that changing the name of a place does not alter its reality and that Arunachal Pradesh is and will always be an integral part of India. China's actions have been seen as an attempt to assert its claim over the territory, but India has firmly refused to accept it. The issue has been a point of contention in India-China relations, particularly after a deadly military clash in 2020.
India's foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that "creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India." The Indian government has reaffirmed its stance, saying the region is an "integral part" of the country. China has published a list of standardized names for 27 places in the region of Arunachal Pradesh, which India controls but China claims as Zangnan.
The dispute over Arunachal Pradesh has been a long-standing irritant in India-China relations, with the two countries sharing a 3,800-km border. Major General Katoch has suggested that if China were to support Tibetan independence, it could be seen as a long-term solution for stability in Asia. However, for now, the renaming bid by China has been met with strong opposition from India, which remains committed to its claim over the region.