Beijing Claims The Indian State Arunachal Pradesh Belongs to China!
A senior Beijing official on Thursday reaffirmed China’s territorial claims over a northeastern Indian state.
“Zangnan has been China’s territory since ancient times. This is an undeniable fact,” Col. Wu Qian, China’s Defense Ministry spokesperson, said of the region the Indian government calls the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
China asserts that the region is part of China`s South Tibet, citing disputed historical claims. The country has renamed the area on its official maps and issued separate visas to Indian citizens from the region as part of its efforts to assert sovereignty.
The statement from China’s defence spokesperson comes amidst rising tensions along the 2,100-mile Line of Actual Control (LAC), the contested boundary separating the two nations.
The territorial dispute over Arunachal Pradesh has deep historical roots, including a brief but bloody conflict between China and India in the 1960s.
Adding to the friction, the United States has drawn Beijing’s ire by supporting India in the face of China’s criticism of the Sela Tunnel project.
“The United States recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory, and we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control,” Vedant Patel, a U.S. State Department spokesperson, said last week.