Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 13: India on Sunday strongly rejected China’s move to assign what it termed “fictitious names” to places in Indian territory, warning that such actions could negatively impact ongoing efforts to normalise bilateral relations.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi “categorically rejects” any “mischievous attempts” by the Chinese side to rename locations that are part of India.

“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,” he said.

Jaiswal added that these actions “detract from ongoing efforts to stabilise and normalise India-China bilateral ties” and urged Beijing to refrain from steps that inject negativity into relations.

India has consistently reacted sharply to similar moves in the past, including instances in May last year and April 2024 when China renamed locations in Arunachal Pradesh.

The remarks came in response to a fresh list released by China, renaming certain places in the region it refers to as “Zangnan”.

China’s Civil Affairs Ministry had earlier issued lists standardising names of places in the area — six in 2017, 15 in 2021, and 11 in 2023 — as part of its claim over the region.

Bilateral relations between the two countries had deteriorated significantly following the 2020 eastern Ladakh border standoff, though both sides have taken steps over the past year and a half to improve ties.

China continues to claim Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet, a position firmly rejected by India.