India on Sunday rejected China’s attempts to “assign fictitious names” to locations which are a part of the Indian territory. The statement by the ministry of external affairs came even as reports stated that China had established a new county in its Xinjiang province near the borders of Afghanistan, Arunachal Pradesh, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“India categorically rejects any mischievous attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places which form part of the territory of India,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
The spokesperson said that “baseless narratives” would not alter the sovereign status of these regions, saying they would always remain an integral part of India.
“Such attempts by China at introducing false claims and manufacturing baseless narratives cannot alter the undeniable reality that these places and territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, were, are, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” the MEA said.
‘Actions detract from efforts to stabilise ties’: MEA
The ministry further said these actions would undermine efforts being made through diplomatic channels to stablised ties between the two countries.
“These actions by the Chinese side detract from ongoing efforts to stabilise and normalise India-China bilateral ties. China should refrain from actions that inject negativity into relations and undermine efforts to create better understanding,” the spokesperson said.
While friction persists between both countries regarding territorial disputes, Beijing set up a new county in its volatile Xinjiang province, situated near the borders of Afghanistan and PoK. The country, which has been named ‘Cenling’, is located near the Karakoram mountain range and is the third such established by China in Xinjiang, a predominantly Muslim Uyghur region, in just over a year.
India lodged protest over creation of previous counties
India had last year lodged a protest with China over the creation of Hean and Hekang counties, while stating that parts of their jurisdiction falls in the union territory of Ladakh.
The creation of ‘Cenling’ was announced by the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region government on March 26, while details of its administrative divisions and exact boundaries were not specified. It will be administered by Kashgar prefecture, according to a report in the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
Kashgar is a city located on the ancient Silk Road, and is a strategic gateway connecting China with South and Central Asia. This is also the starting point for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through PoK and has been opposed by India.
