The Indian government on Wednesday strongly rejected China’s latest attempt to rename several locations in Arunachal Pradesh, calling it a “futile and preposterous” effort to assert territorial claims.
In a sharp response, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed India’s longstanding position, stating that Arunachal Pradesh “was, is, and will always remain” an integral and inalienable part of India.
“We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically,” the MEA said in its official statement.
The statement comes after Beijing released a list of Chinese names for certain locations in Arunachal Pradesh, a region it claims as part of “southern Tibet”—a claim India has categorically and repeatedly denied.
The MEA emphasized that arbitrary or “creative” renaming exercises by China will have no impact on the ground reality or India’s sovereignty.
A file image of Indian Army drills in Kibithu, Anjaw district, near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), was widely shared as a visual reinforcement of India’s operational presence in the area.
