China has once again attempted to impose “fictitious names” on Indian territories, despite New Delhi’s categorical rejection and strong condemnation only days earlier.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry doubled down on its claim that the renaming falls within its sovereignty, referring to Arunachal Pradesh by the fabricated name “Zangnan.”
This latest provocation coincides with Beijing’s aggressive administrative restructuring near sensitive border zones, including the creation of a new county in Xinjiang that borders Afghanistan, Arunachal Pradesh, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun falsely insisted that allocating names to Indian territories falls under “Zangnan’s sovereignty.” He reiterated that “Zangnan is Chinese territory” while paradoxically claiming that China’s policy of improving ties with India remains unchanged, expressing hope for mutual cooperation.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has taken a firm stance against these “mischievous” attempts to manufacture narratives. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasised that changing a name on a map does not alter the reality on the ground. He reaffirmed that Arunachal Pradesh “was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”
New Delhi warned that such unilateral actions inject negativity and detract from ongoing efforts to stabilise and normalise ties. India dismissed the Chinese claims as baseless and false, asserting that these administrative manoeuvres hold no legal or geographical validity. Jaiswal stressed that such attempts at introducing false claims and manufacturing baseless narratives cannot alter the undeniable reality.
The diplomatic spat has been intensified by China’s recent sanctioning of “Cenling County” in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on 26 March. This marks the third such county created in just over a year, following “Hean” and “Hekang.” Indian officials view these moves—renaming places and creating new counties—as a form of “cartographic aggression.”
By shifting the administrative hub to Kashgar, a vital link in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Beijing continues to consolidate its presence in Indian areas.
The creation of these units in the vicinity of the Karakoram mountain range and the Aksai Chin plateau underscores a persistent effort to alter the status quo through administrative fiat.
While China claims these moves support bilateral relations, New Delhi maintains that true progress is impossible so long as Beijing continues to undermine India’s territorial integrity and inject “fictitious” claims into the regional discourse.
ANI
