India Rejects China’s 'Preposterous' Renaming of Arunachal Places, Asserts Sovereignty
Jaiswal made it clear that “creative naming” by China holds no legitimacy
India on Wednesday strongly rejected China’s latest attempt to rename several locations in Arunachal Pradesh, calling it a “vain and preposterous” move that has no bearing on reality. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral part of India.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded sharply to questions from the media, stating that India's position on the matter is "principled and consistent."
"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," Jaiswal asserted.
The response comes after Beijing released a new list of so-called "standardised" names for several locations in Arunachal Pradesh — a state that China claims as part of its territory and refers to as "South Tibet."
Jaiswal made it clear that “creative naming” by China holds no legitimacy, and such tactics will not change the internationally recognised boundaries of Indian territory.
This is not the first time China has tried to alter facts through nomenclature. Responding to previous instances, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had famously remarked:
“If today I change the name of your house, will it become mine?”
India has repeatedly stated that Arunachal Pradesh is an undeniable and inalienable part of the Union, both geographically and politically.
The latest move by China has drawn criticism not just from Indian officials, but also from geopolitical analysts, who view it as a provocative gesture aimed at asserting influence in the region amid growing border tensions.