India on Sunday rejected China’s attempts to “assign fictitious names” to sites that are part of Indian territory. The Foreign Ministry’s statement came even as China was reported to have created a new province in Xinjiang province near the borders of Afghanistan, Arunachal Pradesh and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India categorically rejects any malicious attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places that form part of India’s territory.
The spokesman said that “baseless narratives” would not change the sovereign status of these areas, saying that they would always remain an integral part of India.
“Such attempts by China to make false claims and fabricate baseless narratives cannot change the undeniable fact that these places and territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, have been and always will be an integral part of India,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
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The ministry also said that these measures would undermine efforts made through diplomatic channels to stabilize relations between the two countries.
“These actions by the Chinese side detract from the ongoing efforts to stabilize and normalize bilateral relations between India and China. China must refrain from actions that inject negativity into relations and undermine efforts to create better understanding,” the spokesperson said.
As friction continues between the two countries over territorial disputes, Beijing has created a new province in the restive Xinjiang province, which lies near the border of Afghanistan and Buk. The state, called Sinling, is located near the Karakoram mountain range, and is the third such state that China has established in Xinjiang, the Muslim-majority Uyghur region, in just over a year.
India lodged a protest against the creation of the erstwhile provinces
Last year, India had lodged a protest with China over the creation of Hin and Hikang districts, while stating that parts of its jurisdiction lie in the union territory of Ladakh.
The government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region announced the establishment of “Xinling” on March 26, while the details of its administrative divisions and precise boundaries have not been determined. It will be administered by Kashgar State, according to a report in the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
The city of Kashgar is located on the ancient Silk Road, a strategic gateway linking China with South and Central Asia. This is also the starting point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through PoK and which India has opposed.
