'Arunachal integral part of India; invented names won't alter fact': Govt on new names by China

Government of India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has rejected China renaming some places in Arunachal Pradesh while asserting that the state has “always been” and will “always be” an integral part of India. This comment came after China announced Chinese names for 15 more places in Arunachal Pradesh which Beijing calls South Tibet.

“We have seen such reports. This is not the first time China has attempted such a renaming of places in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. China had also sought to assign such names in April 2017,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

He further noted, “Arunachal Pradesh has always been, and will always be an integral part of India. Assigning invented names to places in Arunachal Pradesh does not alter this fact.”

Chinese Civil Affairs Ministry announced earlier this week that they had standardised names of 15 places in Zangnan (Chinese name for Arunachal Pradesh) in Chinese characters, Tibetan and Roman alphabet. Among these 15 places were eight residential areas, four mountains, a mountain pass and two rivers.

Eight residential places in the second batch are Sêngkêzong and Daglungzong in Cona County of Shannan Prefecture, Mani'gang, Duding and Migpain in Medog County of Nyingchi, Goling, Damba in Zayu County of Nyingchi, and Mêjag in Lhunze County of Shannan Prefecture. Four mountains are Wamo Ri, Dêu Ri, Lhünzhub Ri and Kunmingxingzê Feng. Two rivers are Xênyogmo He and Dulain He, and the mountain pass is named Sê La, in Cona County, according to an India Today report.

This, however, is the second batch of standardised names of places in Arunachal Pradesh that China has given. China’s Foreign Ministry had said in 2017 that China’s territorial claims in the Zangnan region have an administrative and a historic basis. 2017 was also the year when China issued the first batch of standardised names of six places in the region.

(With inputs from Geeta Mohan)

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