The move is seen as part of China’s efforts to reemphasize its claim over the state. (File)

Guwahati:

China has released a set of new names for 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh as part of its efforts to reemphasize its claim over the state. This is the third time that China has ‘renamed’ places in Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls “Zangnan, the southern part of Tibet”.

China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs yesterday released a set of names in Chinese, Tibetan, and pinyin characters in what it claims was in accordance with regulations on geographical names issued by the State Council, China’s cabinet.

The list of names released by China includes five mountain peaks, two land areas, two residential areas, and two rivers.

The first two such lists were released in 2018 and 2021. China issued a list of six names in 2017, while in 2021 it ‘renamed’ 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh.  

New Delhi had strongly rejected China’s claims on both occasions asserting that the state has “always been” and will “always be” an integral part of India.

“This is not the first time China has attempted such a renaming of places in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in December 2021.

“Arunachal Pradesh has always been, and will always be an integral part of India. Assigning invented names to places in Arunachal Pradesh does not alter this fact,” he had said.

According to The Global Times, which is part of the ruling Communist Party’s mouthpiece People’s Daily group of publications in China, the Chinese authorities are calling this move ‘standardised geographical names’.

The first set of names was announced by China in 2017 days after the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh. China was sharply critical of the Tibetan spiritual leader’s visit.

The Dalai Lama fled from Tibet through Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and sought refuge in India in 1959 after China took military control of the Himalayan region in 1950.

India and Chinese troops had clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the state’s Tawang sector last December, in a face-off that came amid a months-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had then accused China of trying to “unilaterally” change the status quo along the LAC.