China slams India for naming sites in disputed border region

China has condemned India's formal announcement of names for 27 sites in a disputed border region, labeling the move "illegal and invalid." The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that India's attempt to rename areas long used by China cannot alter Beijing's claim over Zangnan, which India refers to as Arunachal Pradesh.

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attempting to replace the names long used by China is illegal and invalid, and cannot change the fact that Zangnan belongs to China

India assigned official names to features including mountain passes, settlements, a lake, and a war memorial within the northeastern state on August 7. This action aims to assert its sovereignty and counter China's own standardized place names for the region. The Ministry of Home Affairs stated the naming would "facilitate their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public."

Scholars quoted by China's state-run Global Times warned the move was unilateral and could complicate border issue resolution. Beijing has also released its own standardized names for sites in the area. India has previously dismissed these as "mischievous" attempts to advance "false claims."

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Identifying them formally on the Survey of India map of Arunachal Pradesh is aimed at facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public at large

The naming spat occurs amid viral social media videos alleging increased Chinese activity in Arunachal Pradesh, adding to opposition scrutiny of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government regarding border security. Ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbors are gradually recovering after a June 2020 clash that resulted in casualties. Officials from both countries met on August 6, agreeing to maintain communication to preserve peace along their frontier.

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Arunachal Pradesh “will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,”