The government has rejected claims circulating on social media that China is carrying out a “slow encroachment” into Arunachal Pradesh, describing the allegations as “attention-seeking ploys” lacking specific evidence.
Government sources said parts of the India-China boundary in the region remain undemarcated, which can occasionally result in patrols from the two sides coming face-to-face. Such encounters, they said, are handled through established mechanisms and protocols.
The sources also said the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) remain equipped to monitor the frontier, dominate the border and check Chinese activities.
“There is no slow encroachment in Arunachal Pradesh by China as alleged,” the sources said, adding that sensational claims without specifics should not be given credence.
India reiterates Arunachal Pradesh is integral
The government’s response comes amid renewed attention to China’s longstanding territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh. Beijing refers to the state as “South Tibet” and has repeatedly objected to India’s exercise of administrative control over the region.
The sources noted that China had raised its claim over large parts of Arunachal Pradesh during the 1960 India-China border talks. They also referred to the 1959 incident at Longju, where Chinese forces attacked an Assam Rifles post.
Arunachal Pradesh was also a major theatre during the 1962 India-China war, with Chinese forces launching operations across several valleys before withdrawing north of the Line of Actual Control following the ceasefire.
The government sources said India’s infrastructure push in recent years has strengthened patrolling and surveillance capabilities along the sensitive frontier.
The Ministry of External Affairs has separately reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an “inalienable and integral part of India”, saying no action by another country can alter that position.
India has also identified 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh using their official names on Survey of India maps, amid China’s repeated attempts to assign Chinese names to places in the state.
Beijing has issued several such lists since 2017. India has consistently rejected the renaming attempts, maintaining that they cannot change the reality on the ground.
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