China slammed Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, claiming that it breached...Digital Desk: China slammed Home Minister
Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, claiming that it breached Chinese sovereignty over the region, an allegation that India categorically denied. Home Minister Shah on Monday launched the 'Vibrant Villages Programme' from Kibithoo, Arunachal Pradesh's border village and India's easternmost point.
"Zangnan (the Chinese name for Arunachal Pradesh) is China's territory," responding to a question about Shah's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference.
"The activities of Indian officials in this area infringe on China's sovereignty and are not beneficial to peace and tranquillity in the border regions. We adamantly reject it," he said.
Last week, India flatly rejected China's renaming of some towns in Arunachal Pradesh, claiming that the state is an important part of India and that giving created names does not change this reality.
India reacted in response to Beijing's announcement of Chinese names for 11 more locations in Arunachal Pradesh that it claims as southern Tibet.
"We've heard similar reports. China has already made attempts of this nature. We categorically reject this," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi.
"Arunachal Pradesh is, has always been, and always will be, a fundamental and unassailable component of India. The attempt to give fabricated names won't change the truth," he added.
It was China's civil affairs ministry's third batch of standard geographical designations for Arunachal Pradesh.
The initial batch of standardized names for six Arunachal Pradesh places was released in 2017, with a second batch of 15 locations granted in 2021.In the midst of the current eastern Ladakh border conflict, which started in May 2020, China renamed the places in Arunachal Pradesh.
Following the standoff, India increased its military preparation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Arunachal Pradesh region.Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that the military scenario in the LAC in eastern Ladakh remains "very fragile" and "quite dangerous" due to the closest installation of forces from both sides in some pockets, despite "significant" advancements in numerous regions in the disengagement process.
Indian and Chinese troops have been fighting in eastern Ladakh for nearly three years, despite the fact that both sides have completed army withdrawals from numerous locations following intensive diplomatic and military talks.
India has consistently insisted that peace in the border regions is a prerequisite for normalising relations with China.
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