China Reaffirms Territorial Claims Over Arunachal Pradesh by Renaming Locations

China has reiterated its territorial claims near its disputed border with India by releasing standardized names for 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh, an area that India administers but which China refers to as Zangnan, asserting it is part of the Tibetan autonomous region. The renaming encompasses a variety of geographical features, including 15 mountains, five residential areas, four mountain passes, two rivers, and one lake.

The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs published the names, each designated in Chinese characters, Tibetan, and pinyin—alongside precise latitude and longitude coordinates and a detailed high-resolution map. The ministry stated that the renaming was in accordance with the provisions of the State Council regarding geographical names, underscoring its claim to the region.

India swiftly condemned China’s action, labeling it “vain and preposterous.” The Indian Ministry of External Affairs declared, “Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”

This latest development comes despite recent attempts to improve diplomatic relations between the two nations following years of tension. The relationship reached a low point after a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in 2020, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese personnel, igniting a military standoff at the border. In 2021, another skirmish in Sikkim left troops from both nations injured. However, both countries agreed to de-escalate tensions and end the military standoff late last year.

As part of ongoing diplomatic efforts, China and India have agreed to facilitate visa processes and resume direct flights, albeit without a specific timeline for reinstating those routes. Additionally, India announced that China would reopen sacred sites for Indian pilgrims, such as Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, after a five-year suspension. However, China’s renaming of numerous locations in Arunachal Pradesh threatens to undermine these diplomatic advancements.

Most of the locations listed in China’s recent announcement lie within the Indian-controlled territory, specifically south of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), an informal boundary that both nations interpret differently. This boundary loosely follows the McMahon Line, drawn during British colonial rule, but each side has distinct perspectives on its exact placement. Beijing claims areas south of the LAC as part of South Tibet, while India maintains these areas as Arunachal Pradesh.

This marks the fifth instance of China renaming locations within Arunachal Pradesh, having previously released lists of names in 2017, 2021, 2023, and most recently, 30 names in March 2024. Following the release of these names last year, India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the effort as a “senseless attempt” to “alter reality.” Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar responded, “If today I change the name of your house, will it become mine? Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be a state of India. Changing names does not have an effect.”

In a reported retaliatory move, the Indian Army’s information warfare division began renaming 30 locations in China’s Tibet region last June, although no public list has been released and no further actions have been reported.