As China includes Arunachal on new ‘standard map’, Congress’s advice to Centre

China has officially released the 2023 edition of its “standard map,” which shows the state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region as part of its territory, prompting a sharp reaction from the Congress.

Congress MP Manish Tewari on Tuesday advised the Narendra Modi government to introspect whether it would be appropriate to host Chinese President Xi Jinping at G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi next month.

“The absurdity and preposterousness of the Chinese claim is evidenced by the history of the Sino-Indian border dispute…Today, the real issue between India and China is that they have transgressed along the Line of Actual Control at multiple points on a theatre level…Under those circumstances, the government should seriously introspect whether it would be in accordance with India’s self-respect to befitting a person in Delhi – Xi Jinping – who is in illegal occupation of 2000 square kilometres of Indian territory…,” the Congress leader said.

Tewari added the illegal occupations needed to be vacated. “…the Chinese maps are preposterous…not in sync with the history of the Sino-India border dispute, China has no claim on Arunachal Pradesh…” he added.

Claims over Taiwan, South China sea too

The map released on Monday showed Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin, which was occupied by China in the 1962 war, as part of its territory. It also claimed Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea.

China’s fresh provocation comes just 10 days ahead of the multi-national G20 or Group of 20 nations’ summit, being hosted by India this year. Several world leaders, including the United States President Joe Biden, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping, will arrive in the national capital for the three-day event from September 8-10.

While India has repeatedly affirmed that the entire Aksai Chin (as per 1865 Johnson Line) and Arunachal Pradesh is its own territory; other nations in the region including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also objected to China’s claims over the South China sea.

Earlier in April, Beijing had unilaterally “renamed” as many as 11 Indian locations, inviting strong objections from India.

The map’s release also follows days after the recent Modi-Xi meeting on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, where the two leaders had agreed “to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation at the LAC”.