China expressed its displeasure on Thursday over Indian mountaineers naming a newly scaled peak in Arunachal Pradesh after the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso.
The summit, which stands at 20,942 feet, was climbed by a team from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), based in Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh, and the decision to name it after the Dalai Lama has reignited territorial tensions.
A press release from the Defence Ministry highlighted that naming the peak after the 6th Dalai Lama serves as a tribute to his wisdom and significant contributions to the Monpa community, where he was born in 1682.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated, “Let me say more broadly that the area of Zangnan is Chinese territory, and it’s illegal and null and void for India to set up the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ in Chinese territory.”
He reiterated that this has been China's consistent stance.
It is noteworthy that China refers to Arunachal Pradesh as Zangnan and has been renaming places in the region since 2017 to reinforce its territorial claims.
India, however, has firmly rejected these assertions, reaffirming that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and that renaming efforts will not change this reality.
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