• Recognize Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory: US supports India on China's claim

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    Recognize Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory: US supports India on China's claim
    China's territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh have been consistently denied by India......


    Digital desk: The United States recognized Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and strongly opposed any attempts to advance territorial claims across the Line of Actual Control, the State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel on Wednesday said in a conference held in Washington. 

    After PM Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, on March 9, for the inauguration of the Sela Tunnel built at an altitude of 13,000 feet that will provide all-weather connectivity to strategically located Tawang and ensure better movement of troops along the frontier region. The Chinese military reaffirmed its claim to the state.

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for the Chinese Defense Ministry, stated earlier this week that Beijing "never acknowledges and firmly opposes" the "so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India" and that the southern region of Xizang, the Chinese name for Tibet, is an inherent part of China's territory.

    The State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel addressing in a press conference said, “The United States recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control.”

    China's territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh have been consistently denied by India, which maintains that the state constitutes an essential component of its territory. Beijing's decision to give the region "invented" names has also been rejected by New Delhi, which claims it does not affect reality. 

    The Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson's recent remarks about "advancing absurd claims" over Arunachal Pradesh's territory were noted by the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday. The statement stated that the state "was, is, and will always be" an integral and inalienable part of India.