The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a terse statement on Tuesday dismissed Chinese assertions on Arunachal Pradesh as "absurd claims." This statement comes close on the heels of the Chinese military reiterating its claim over the northeastern state.
Reacting to media queries on the comments by a Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal asserted that Arunachal Pradesh "was, is and will always be" an integral part of India. He emphasized that "repeating baseless arguments" does not validate China's stance.
The statement reiterated the Indian position that the people of Arunachal Pradesh will continue to benefit from development initiatives and infrastructure projects undertaken by the Indian government.
Earlier, Chinese state media had reported comments by Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defence Ministry, claiming the southern part of Tibet as Chinese territory.
Notably, China refers to Tibet as Xizang.
Colonel Zhang went on to state that Beijing "never acknowledges and firmly opposes" the "so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India."
India has consistently contested China's territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh, maintaining that the state is an inseparable part of the nation. New Delhi has also firmly rejected China's attempts to rename the region.
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