China provokes India with new ‘Standard Map’ including Arunachal and Aksai Chin
On Monday, China asserted ownership of Arunachal Pradesh (South Tibet) and Aksai Chin in its latest ‘standard map’. These claims have historical roots, including the 1962 war occupation.
The Indian government has not responded to China’s contentious action. This comes amid the upcoming G20 Summit in New Delhi and a recent informal discussion between Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit.
The Prime Minister had then conveyed to Mr Jinping India’s “concerns over unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and other areas along the India-China border,” cited by NDTV.
The map depicts contested regions like Taiwan and significant portions of the South China Sea under China’s jurisdiction. The South China Sea’s ownership is disputed among Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.
In April, the Indian government firmly rejected China’s attempt to rename 11 areas in Arunachal Pradesh as ‘Zangnan,’ marking Beijing’s third such effort after 2018 and 2021. India reaffirmed that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and unalterable part of the country.
The list of places subjected to the ‘renaming’ included five mountain peaks, two residential areas, and two rivers.
“We have seen such reports. This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright,” Arindam Bagchi said, adding, “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,” as NDTV cited.
In December of last year, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a clash along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector. This confrontation occurred amidst a prolonged border standoff in eastern Ladakh, prompting India to enhance its military preparedness along the LAC in the Arunachal Pradesh sector.
During that time, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had accused China of attempting to alter the LAC’s status quo. Just recently, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasized the ongoing fragility and hazardous nature of the situation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
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