Beijing: China firmly opposed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s ongoing visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying it violated Beijing’s territorial sovereignty and is not “conducive” to peace and tranquiliity in the border regions. Shah on Monday visited Arunachal Pradesh to launch the 'Vibrant Villages Programme' (VVP) in Kibithoo, a village along the India-China border.
Shah’s visit to the border state came in the backdrop of Beijing’s move of renaming 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh last week, claiming them as part of its territory. However, India slammed China’s move asserting that the state has "always been" and will "always be" an integral part of India.
China on Amit Shah's visit
Responding to a question on Shah's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, "Zangnan (the Chinese name for Arunachal Pradesh) is China's territory".
"Indian officials’ activities in this area violate China's sovereignty and (are) not conducive to peace and tranquility in the border regions. We firmly oppose it," he said at a media briefing here.
While there was no immediate reaction from New Delhi over the Chinese foreign ministry's strong reaction over Home Minister Shah's visit, India routinely rejects such objections by China to visits by its leaders to Arunachal Pradesh.
Amit Shah in Arunachal Pradesh
During his visit on Monday, Shah launched ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ from Arunachal's border village Kibithoo, India's easternmost place. Launching the 'Vibrant Village' programme, the Home Minister said the era when anyone could encroach India's borderlands has passed and no one can dare cast an evil eye on its territorial integrity. Shah said the valour of the Army and ITBP personnel ensures that no one can encroach even an inch of India's land.
"The era is gone when anyone could encroach on our lands. Now, not even land equal to 'sui ki noke' (inch of land) can be encroached...," the minister said. He said no one can cast an evil eye on India because of the security forces who protect the country's frontiers.
China renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh
Last week, China released a third set of names in Chinese, Tibetan and pinyin characters for Arunachal Pradesh, as part of its efforts to reemphasise its claim over the Indian state.
China's Ministry of Civil Affairs released the standardised names of 11 places for Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls "Zangnan, the southern part of Tibet" in accordance with regulations on geographical names issued by the State Council, China's cabinet.
India's reaction
India has previously dismissed the Chinese move of renaming some places in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state has "always been" and will "always be" an integral part of India and that assigning "invented" names does not alter this fact. "This is not the first time China has attempted such a renaming of places in the state of Arunachal Pradesh."
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," he had said.
It was the third batch of standardised geographical names for Arunachal Pradesh issued by China's civil affairs ministry. China's renaming of the places in Arunachal Pradesh came in the midst of the lingering eastern Ladakh border standoff that began in May 2020. Following the standoff, India bolstered its overall military preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Arunachal Pradesh sector as well.
Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the situation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh remained "very fragile" and is "quite dangerous" in military assessment because of close deployments of troops of both sides in some pockets though "substantial" progress has been made in the disengagement process in many areas.
The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a nearly three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement of troops from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.
(With PTI inputs)
