In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) unequivocally rejected China’s latest attempt to rename several locations in Arunachal Pradesh, describing the move as “vain and preposterous.”
This comes after China’s Civil Aviation Ministry, on May 11–12, released a new set of names for 27 locations in the Indian state, as part of its repeated efforts to assert territorial claims over the region.“We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh,” said the MEA.“Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically. Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” the ministry added.
China’s Naming Spree and India’s Consistent Stand
The Chinese government has referred to Arunachal Pradesh as “Zangnan” in its official communications. According to state-run Global Times, the recently issued list includes 12 mountains, 4 rivers, 1 lake, 1 mountain pass, 11 residential areas, and a land parcel — complete with coordinates and a high-resolution map.
This is not the first such move by China. The new names are part of a continuing campaign that began in 2017, when Beijing issued a list of “standardised” names for six places in Arunachal Pradesh. The list expanded in 2021 with 15 names, again in 2023 with 11 names, and earlier in 2024 with 30 names.
Despite these repeated efforts, India has firmly maintained that such attempts carry no legal weight and are clearly political in nature.
ALSO READ: US-China agree to major tariff rollback in 90-day trade truce
India’s Sovereign Stance
India has consistently held that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and sovereign part of the country. The MEA has stressed that “assigning invented names does not change the reality on the ground.”
The matter remains one of ongoing geopolitical friction between the two Asian giants, particularly in the context of broader border disputes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Context and Global Attention
The MEA has stressed that “assigning invented names does not change the reality on the ground” regarding renaming of Arunachal Pradesh
This episode adds to the already tense India-China relationship, especially in the backdrop of previous military standoffs, including the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. While China continues to push symbolic assertions through naming campaigns, India has opted for clear and direct diplomatic rebuttals.
The MEA’s statement serves as another firm diplomatic message to Beijing that territorial integrity is non-negotiable, and historical revisionism through “standardisation of names” will not be tolerated.
