Arunachal Pradesh an integral part of India: US On China’s attempt to rename 11 places

The White House has said that the United States acknowledges Arunachal Pradesh as a part of India and strongly opposes unilateral moves to advance territorial claims by renaming places by China.

The United States reacted when China announced Chinese names for 11 more locations in Arunachal Pradesh, which China’s neighbour believes is the southern section of Tibet.

China’s ministry of civil affairs revealed the official names of the 11 locations in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday.

“The United States has recognised that territory (Arunachal Pradesh) for a long time (as an integral part of India). And we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by renaming localities,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, White House Press Secretary.

“And so, again, this is something that we have long stood by,” Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference.

Assigning “invented” names does not change the fact that Arunachal Pradesh is a part of India, India said on Tuesday, rejecting China’s renaming of several locations in the state.

“We have seen such reports. This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

“Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality,” he said. China’s civil affairs ministry issued its third batch of standardised geographical names for Arunachal Pradesh.

The first set of conventional names for six locations in Arunachal Pradesh was provided in 2017, and the second set for 15 locations will be issued in 2021.

The ongoing border dispute over eastern Ladakh, which started in May 2020, coincided with China’s renaming of sites in Arunachal Pradesh.

As a result of the tense situation, India increased its military presence all along the LAC in the Arunachal Pradesh area.

Even though the two sides have completed withdrawal of soldiers in some locations after prolonged diplomatic and military discussions, they remain embroiled in a standoff in key friction sites in eastern Ladakh that has lasted over three years.

India has always insisted that border disputes must be resolved before it can have regular relations with China.