China's recent release of a fourth list of standardized geographical names in Arunachal Pradesh, known as Zangnan in Beijing's terminology, marks another attempt to assert its territorial claims in the region. The list includes 30 new names for various places along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in India's northeastern state.
This move is not unprecedented, as China has previously released similar lists in 2017, 2021, and 2023, renaming locations within Arunachal Pradesh. India has consistently rejected these attempts, reaffirming that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country and dismissing China's claims as baseless.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized that changing names does not alter the ground reality of Arunachal Pradesh's status as an Indian state. He compared the situation to changing the name of someone's house, noting that it does not change ownership.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India's stance, asserting that Arunachal Pradesh has always been and will remain an integral part of India, regardless of China's repeated claims.
China's latest action comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh and the inauguration of the strategically important Sela Tunnel, aimed at enhancing connectivity to areas like Tawang and facilitating troop movement along the border region. Beijing has expressed dissatisfaction with Modi's visit and criticized the United States for recognizing Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory, emphasizing that the boundary issue between China and India should be resolved bilaterally without external interference.
