China has again raked up the Arunachal Pradesh issue claiming its “sovereignty” over it even after India rejected Beijing’s recent exercise to rename 11 places in the eastern State. Meanwhile, the United States said it “strongly opposes” China’s attempts to advance a claim over Indian territory, Arunachal Pradesh by renaming localities.

Asserting her country’s claim, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning late on Tuesday said, “Zangnan (Arunachal Pradesh) is part of China’s territory. In accordance with relevant stipulations of the administration of geographical names of the State Council, competent authorities of the Chinese Government have standardised the names of some parts of Zangnan. This is within China’s sovereign rights.”

Reacting to China renaming places, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “This is another attempt by the Chinese claim on an Indian territory. So the United States, as you know, has recognised that territory for a long time and we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance a territory claim by renaming localities. And so, again, this is something that we have long stood by a few things.”

Ministry of External Affairs official Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Tuesday asserted that Arunachal Pradesh will always be an integral part of India.

Bagchi issued the statement after China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs came up with the names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, which it referred to as “Zangnan, the southern part of Tibet.”

 He said, “We have seen such reports. This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright.” Bagchi also said, “Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality.”

The first batch of the standardised names of six places in Arunachal Pradesh was released in 2017 and the second batch of 15 places was issued in 2021. China’s renaming of the places in Arunachal Pradesh came in the midst of the lingering eastern Ladakh border standoff that began in May 2020.

Following the standoff, India bolstered its overall military preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Arunachal Pradesh sector as well. The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a nearly three-year-long confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement of troops from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.