China Renames Places In Arunachal Pradesh, Claims Changes Made For Southern Tibet Areas
Amidst the sore border gridlock between India and China over some friction points in eastern Ladakh, Beijing has made another controversial move that would most likely deepen the animosity between the neighbouring nations. It has renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, which it claims as South Tibet.
China's Ministry of Civil Affairs has "standardised the names of 11 places in Zangnan (southern part of Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region) in Chinese characters".
"The official names of the 11 places were released by the ministry on Sunday, which also gave precise coordinates, including two residential areas, five mountain peaks, two rivers and two other areas. It also listed the category of places' names and their subordinate administrative districts," State-run Global Times reported.?
Name change for third time
This is the third time China has renamed places in Arunachal Pradesh unilaterally, having done it in April 2017 and December 2021.?
This move is expected to evoke critical reactions from New Delhi, which has continually asserted that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.
In 2017, the name changes were carried out on April 13, a day after Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama left Arunachal Pradesh following a high-profile nine-day high visit.?
Beijing calls the Dalai Lama a splittist and says he wants to create an independent country of Tibet.
Ahead of a new border security law taking effect in January 2021, Beijing had renamed 15 locations in Arunachal Pradesh.?
India had dismissed the Chinese move in 2021 and said such actions wouldn't alter the region's status as an integral part of the country.
Standoff in Ladakh since 2020
Since May 2020, India and China have been engrossed in a high-tension border dispute?in eastern Ladakh after the People's Liberation Army tried to change the status quo in the area. It has resulted in?strained relations between the Asian countries, deemed the worst in decades.?
Owing to this, the deployment of thousands of troops and heavy armament along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by both countries has been a constant phenomenon.
In June 2021, 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops were left dead after a fatal clash at Galwan Valley. Those were the first fatalities along the LAC since 1975.
The nuclear-powered countries have had "smooth communication on boundary-related issues through diplomatic and military channels," however, India and China are yet to reach an agreement on some areas in eastern Ladakh.
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