China rename arunachal pradesh?
- The Origin Story
The dispute over the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China refers to as South Tibet, has been a long-standing issue between the two countries. The dispute stems from historical and territorial claims, with China arguing that Arunachal Pradesh is part of its territory, while India claims that the state is an integral part of its sovereign territory.
Historical claims:
China bases its claim on historical records, which it says demonstrate that Tibet and its southern region, including Arunachal Pradesh, were part of China during various periods in history. However, India disputes these claims, stating that Arunachal Pradesh was never a part of China.
Territorial claims:
China claims that Arunachal Pradesh falls under the Chinese jurisdiction of Southern Tibet, and thus, it belongs to China. On the other hand, India asserts that the territory is an integral part of its sovereign territory, and its boundary with China is well-defined and demarcated.
The dispute has been a cause for tension between India and China, with both sides accusing each other of violating their territorial integrity. In 1962, China launched a military offensive against India, claiming its sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh. The war ended with a Chinese victory, and China gained control of Aksai Chin, a region in the western sector of the India-China border. However, China returned the region to India in 1963.
In recent years, there have been several incidents of border skirmishes between the two countries. In 2017, a military standoff took place in the Doklam plateau, a disputed region between China and Bhutan, which also has territorial claims by China over it. The standoff lasted for over two months before being resolved through diplomatic means.
In 2020, tensions escalated between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between the two countries. The standoff, which began in May 2020, saw both sides amassing troops and heavy artillery along the border. In June 2020, a violent clash took place between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers.
The situation was eventually resolved through several rounds of high-level talks between the two countries. Both sides agreed to disengage and withdraw their troops from the disputed areas along the LAC. However, the dispute over Arunachal Pradesh remains unresolved.
Overall the dispute over Arunachal Pradesh between India and China is a complex issue with historical and territorial claims. While both countries have attempted to resolve the issue through diplomatic means, tensions along the border remain high, and the situation remains volatile.
- The Issue
China has unilaterally renamed locations in Arunachal Pradesh three times, most recently in December 2021 and again in April 2017.
In a step that is expected to worsen the already deteriorating relationship between New Delhi and Beijing, China has renamed 11 locations in the Arunachal Pradesh region, which it claims to be South Tibet.
Mountain summits, rivers, and residential areas all now have new names.
China has renamed places in Arunachal Pradesh for the third time, as they had previously done in April 2017 and December 2021, without consulting India. Indian officials have not responded immediately to this latest development, but sources indicate that India was already aware of China’s actions, which are consistent with its past behavior. In response to previous renamings, India had rejected China’s actions and reaffirmed that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and indivisible part of India.
On Sunday, the civil affairs ministry of China made a brief statement saying that they, along with relevant departments, have standardized certain geographical names in southern Tibet in accordance with State Council regulations on geographical name management. As a result, the names of these places in Tibetan will now also be available in Pinyin, which is the standard romanization of Mandarin characters used on Chinese maps. On Monday, a report by the state-run tabloid Global Times said that the ministry has released the official names of 11 places, along with their precise coordinates, categories, and subordinate administrative districts. These 11 places include two land areas, two residential areas, five mountain peaks, and two rivers.
According to a report, the Ministry of Civil Affairs released the third set of standardized geographical names in Zangnan. Zhang Yongpan, who works at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated in state media that China has the right to standardize names within its borders. Lian Xiangmin, an expert from the China Tibetology Research Center, predicted that additional standardized names for the region will be announced soon. Zangnan, which is located in the southern part of Tibet, is claimed by Beijing as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is unclear why China decided to release new names, but given the state of relations, it is not unexpected that Beijing would take action to provoke New Delhi.
The modification of names In Arunachal Pradesh’s 11 listed places will not directly affect them. In 2017, the name changes were implemented one day after the Dalai Lama left the area following a high-profile visit. China views the Dalai Lama as a separatist who aims to establish an independent Tibet. In anticipation of a new border security law, China renamed 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh in 2021. However, India rejected China’s action, stating that it will not affect the region’s status as an integral part of India. According to Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry, China has attempted to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh before. Nonetheless, the fact that Arunachal Pradesh is and will continue to be an integral part of India remains unchanged by China’s invented names.
