China renames 11 places in Arunachal calling it 'southern Tibet'
China on Sunday renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh to assert its claim over the Indian state. The names have been standardized in Chinese, Tibetan, and Pinyin languages, as it calls Arunachal Pradesh 'Zangnan, the southern part of Tibet.' Indian government sources said that this development will not change the situation on the ground and that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.
Why does this story matter?
The India China border dispute has been going on for decades, and has escalated since 2020. China reportedly entered border villages and established strategic infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh and other border regions, claiming them as its own. The Indian government has trashed such claims. In December 2022, troops from both countries had a brief skirmish at the border in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang Sector.
Places renamed include residential areas, rivers, mountains
The list of names renamed was released by China's Ministry of Civil Affairs in accordance with the State Council, the chief administrative authority of the country. The ministry also gave out precise coordinates of the places it sought to rename, which include two land areas, two residential areas, five mountain peaks, and two rivers.
China's third instance of renaming places
Reportedly, this is the third instance of China renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh. It renamed six places in 2017 and 15 places in 2021. Rejecting the renaming, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in December 2021, "Arunachal Pradesh has always been, and will always be an integral part of India. Assigning invented names to places in Arunachal Pradesh does not alter this fact."
Chinese officials scheduled to attend SCO meet in India
Notably, the development came a week after China skipped a G20 meeting that India organized in Arunachal Pradesh. The Chinese defense minister is, however, scheduled to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in India in May along with Pakistan's defense minister. President Xi Jinping is also likely to visit India to take part in the SCO summit in July.
Must respect territorial integrity: Ajit Doval at SCO meeting
In an SCO meeting last week, India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval took a veiled dig at China, saying that members of the group must respect the territorial integrity of other countries. India currently holds the presidency of the SCO.
