India has lodged a formal protest against China for releasing a new map that claims Indian territory, including the state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin plateau. The protest comes just ahead of the upcoming G20 summit in New Delhi, which Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend. The move has heightened tensions between the two countries, who have been engaged in a military standoff for three years.
Arindam Bagchi, the spokesman for India’s External Affairs Ministry, stated, “We reject these claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question.” The Chinese map, published on China’s Ministry of Natural Resources website, includes Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and the Doklam Plateau within Chinese borders. India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar echoed Bagchi’s sentiment, saying, “Making absurd claims on India’s territory does not make it China’s territory.”
Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an informal discussion with President Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, emphasizing concerns about their unresolved border disputes. Despite this, tensions remain high, with tens of thousands of troops from both nations amassed along the disputed frontier, known as the “Line of Actual Control,” stretching from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east.
The long-standing territorial dispute has previously led to armed conflict between the two countries, including a war in 1962. Relations deteriorated further after a clash in the Himalayas in June 2020, resulting in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. Both countries have accused each other of complicating efforts to resolve the border issue, even as their military commanders meet to stabilize the situation.
China has also declined to recognize India’s sovereignty over its part of Kashmir and has refused to place visas in the passports of officials from Arunachal Pradesh, instead using a stapled-in certificate. The tension on the disputed border continues to simmer, complicating diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution.
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