China's Contention Continues: Amit Shah's Arunachal Visit Draws Beijing's Ire, Following Recent 'Renaming' Of 11 Places
China's president, Xi Jinping (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated in a news briefing that Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh is opposed by China and his actions in the region are regarded as a breach of Beijing's territorial sovereignty.
Last week, China "renamed" 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh that it claims as part of its territory.
Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, in response to a question on the visit to Arunachal Pradesh by Home Minister Amit Shah, "Zangnan is China's territory".
"The Indian official's visit to Zangnan violates China's territorial sovereignty, and is not conducive to the peace and tranquility of the border situation."
Home Minister Shah will launch 'Vibrant Villages Programme' in Kibithoo, a village on India-China border during his 10-11 April visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
"This is not the first time that China is making such attempts, and we have criticised such attempts. Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of India. China giving its own inventive names will not change the ground reality. I would like to re-emphasise that," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said last week.
US also condemned China's attempts to advance a claim over Arunachal Pradesh by renaming localities.
"This is another attempt by the Chinese claim on US, Indian territory. So the United States, as you know, has recognized that territory for a long time and we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance a territory claim by renaming localities. And so, again, this is something that we have long stood by a few things," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Explained: What Is The ‘Vibrant Village Programme’ That Amit Shah Will Flag Off In Arunachal Pradesh
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