In a move to assert its territorial claim over Arunachal Pradesh, the Chinese Civil Affairs Ministry has reportedly renamed 30 locations in the region, referring to it as Zangnan, part of the Tibetan autonomous region, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
The latest set of “standardised” names, released on Saturday, includes 11 residential areas, 12 mountains, four rivers, one lake, one mountain pass, and a piece of land. The specific names of the places have not been disclosed yet. Each name was presented in Chinese characters, Tibetan script, and pinyin, reflecting the Roman alphabet version of Mandarin Chinese.
The Chinese Civil Affairs Ministry justified the renaming, stating it was in accordance with relevant provisions of the State Council regarding the management of geographical names in Zangnan.
This move follows previous efforts by China in April last year, when the Civil Affairs Ministry renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier batches of standardised names were issued in 2017 and 2021, comprising a total of 21 locations.
In response to China’s repeated claims over Arunachal Pradesh, Bharat has maintained its stance that the region is an integral part of the country. The Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson reiterated Bharat’s position, asserting that Arunachal Pradesh has always been and will remain an inseparable part of Bharat.
Tensions escalated further when the Chinese military criticised the United States for recognising Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory. The US State Department’s assertion drew condemnation from China, which asserted border issues between Bharat and China should be resolved through dialogue and consultations, citing mature mechanisms and communication channels between the two countries.
