New Delhi: India on Sunday dismissed Beijing's recent attempts to assign "fictitious names" to geographical locations, a move that coincides with reports of China establishing a new county in its Xinjiang province near the borders of Afghanistan, Arunachal Pradesh, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Addressing the development, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified New Delhi's stance on the administrative manoeuvres along contested border regions. "India categorically rejects any mischievous attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places which form part of the territory of India," Jaiswal said in his statement.
The spokesperson emphasised that the renaming of locations does not change the sovereign status of the regions involved. He asserted that "such attempts by China at introducing false claims and manufacturing baseless narratives cannot alter the undeniable reality that these places and territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, were, are, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India."
Turning to the broader impact on regional diplomacy, Jaiswal warned that such unilateral actions by Beijing could hamper the progress made in diplomatic channels....
Although the precise "administrative divisions and boundaries" of Cenling remain undisclosed, the location of the unit near sensitive zones underscores the high level of concern regarding China's o...