Beijing/Washington: ‘Renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh cannot change the reality. Arunachal Pradesh was and will continue to be India’s territory,’ India’s foreign ministry had warned China. This seems to have rattled China. China’s foreign ministry has said that China has the sovereign right to change the names of places in Zangnan, i.e. Arunachal Pradesh. The White House has said that the United States supports India in its dispute with China over Arunachal Pradesh and acknowledges that the region is an integral part of India.
Moreover, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi slammed China over Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday. ‘China has announced new names for 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh. China has tried this before. But this does not change the reality. Arunachal Pradesh was and will continue to be an integral part of India,’ Bagchi warned. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning commented on the issue on Wednesday. On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning asserted that China has sovereign rights over Arunachal Pradesh and has the right to change the names of places in the region.
Even earlier, China claimed Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet and has rights over it. Indian analysts are suggesting that it is time for India to respond firmly to China and raise questions about China’s claims on Tibet. According to some diplomats and political observers, China is trying to create the impression that it is doing something against India by changing the names of places like this. As a result, these observers suggest that China’s tactics should not overly sway India and instead adopt a strategic approach to dealing with China while refraining from reacting excessively to its actions. At the same time, these diplomats and observers have also assured that India is taking appropriate steps in this direction. Due to this, China’s efforts to put pressure on India have failed. These diplomats and observers have also pointed out that China wants to create a picture that it is doing something against India purely out of the frustration caused by this.
Meanwhile, the US White House has said that Arunachal Pradesh is integral to India. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the United States fully supports India and strongly opposes China’s claim on Arunachal Pradesh. Jean-Pierre asserted that this had been the position of the US for a long time.
Recently, there has been growing discontent in India over the United States commenting on India’s internal issues. At the same time, after the attack on the Indian embassy in the US by Khalistani separatists, it was revealed that the US authorities were slow to act against them. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had then criticized that some countries’ views on their safety and that of others were two-fold. This has resulted in the US reaffirming its strong support for India in the ongoing border dispute with China.
The US State Department and senior officials are trying to dispel India’s displeasure by claiming they will stand by India in the border dispute with China. However, indications suggest India is unwilling to give it much attention. The Ministry of External Affairs of India has not yet responded to the support provided by the US.
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