China irked as India names 27 places in Arunachal Pradesh
China has reacted sharply to India’s recent decision to formally identify and name 27 geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh, calling the move “illegal, null and void. ”China irked as India names 27 places. . .
China has reacted sharply to India’s recent decision to formally identify and name 27 geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh, calling the move “illegal, null and void. ”China irked as India names 27 places in Arunachal Pradesh (Image credit: Getty Images)New Delhi:China has reacted sharply to India’s recent decision to formally identify and name 27 geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh, calling the move “illegal, null and void. ” The reaction came after the Government of India, in consultation with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, identified 27 places, including passes, lakes and other geographical features, and incorporated their standardized names into the official maps of the Survey of India. The Ministry of Home Affairs said that formally identifying these locations on the Survey of India map of Arunachal Pradesh was aimed at “facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public at large. ”The 27 places identified by India include Longju, Maja, Bisa, Dzo La, Riza La and Pukur La in Upper Subansiri; Thag La and Jaswantgarh in Tawang; Sambho Sarovar; Bada Kundun, Chhota Kundun and Dhanbari in Anjaw; Pritnagar, Buddhamandir, Jairampur, Teritnagar and Ramnagar in Changlang; Sagar, Padma, Jyotinagar and Baisakhi in West Kameng; Sher-e-Thapa Memorial, Chhota Ropuk and Bada Ropuk in Upper Subansiri; and Shivaji Nagar and Kamlang Nagar in Lohit. China’s ReactionReacting to India’s move, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described the naming of the places as “illegal, null and void. ” He reiterated China’s claim over the region, referring to it as “Zangnan” . India has always maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of the country and rejected China’s territorial claims over the state. China’s Renaming of Places in Arunachal PradeshChina’s latest reaction comes against the backdrop of its repeated attempts to assign Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh. In April 2017, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs announced Chinese names for six places in Arunachal Pradesh. The move came amid heightened tensions between India and China, including the controversy surrounding the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh and the broader tensions that year, which later included the Doklam standoff. China again announced a new set of names in December 2021, when it standardized Chinese names for 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh. In April 2023, it announced names for another 11 locations. Most recently, in April 2026, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs issued another notification assigning Chinese names to locations in Arunachal Pradesh, including towns, rivers and mountains. India has consistently rejected these moves, arguing that assigning Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh cannot change their status or alter the reality on the ground. In April 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that India “categorically rejects any mischievous attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places which form part of the territory of India. ”The ministry further said that China’s attempts to introduce false claims and baseless narratives cannot change the fact that Arunachal Pradesh is and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India. India also urged China to refrain from such actions, saying that they detract from efforts to stabilize and normalize bilateral relations and create better understanding between the two countries. Why Does China Keep Renaming Places in Arunachal Pradesh?China’s repeated renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh is primarily aimed at reinforcing its territorial claim over roughly 90,000 sq km of territory, which Beijing describes as “South Tibet” or “Zangnan. ”By assigning Chinese names to villages, mountains, rivers, passes and other geographical features, China seeks to reinforce its claim and uses this as diplomatic tool to keep the territorial dispute visible. India’s decision to formally identify 27 geographical features on its official maps can be viewed as a response to China’s continued renaming of places inside India’s territory. While China uses naming to reinforce its claim, India is emphasizing the official recognition of these places within its own administrative and mapping framework. @Awana, please file. Nivriti MohanNivriti Mohan is an Associate Editor with News9 Plus. In her journalistic experience of 18 years she has 15 years of experience as a field reporter. A professionally trained lawyer she has covered Legal, political, Human Interest stories, among others. Read MoreLatest Stories