New Delhi : In an attempt to ratchet up tension, China has once again staked a claim to the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, saying 'Zangnan has been China's territory since ancient times. This is an undeniable fact.' Zangnan is China's official name for Arunachal Pradesh.
A spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, remarked during a regular press conference on Thursday in Beijing. India has also strongly refuted the Chinese never-ending claims on Arunachal Pradesh.
Wu Qian said, “Zangnan has been China's territory since ancient times. It is reported that India's defense ministry said that China is making an "absurd" claim that Zangnan is an integral part of China's territory， adding that "Arunachal Pradesh" is an "inalienable part of India".
And the US also recognized "Arunachal Pradesh" as Indian territory and opposed advancing territorial claims across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by military or civilian means”, the spokesperson said.
Defense Spokesperson Wu rebutted India's unreasonable remarks by asking "Where does the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh' come from?" And he also pointed out that the US has a terrible record of stoking disputes between other countries for selfish gains. The international community sees it.
"In the end, the spokesperson emphasized that there are mature mechanisms and communication channels between China and India on border issues. "The two sides have the ability and willingness to properly handle the boundary question through dialogue and consultations", said the spokesperson".
Meanwhile, India refuted China's repeated claims to Arunachal Pradesh, saying Beijing may "repeat its baseless claims" as many times as it wants but that is not going to change New Delhi's position that Arunachal Pradesh "was, is, and will always remain" an integral and inalienable part of the country. His comments came days after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Monday reiterated China's claim.
"Our position on the matter, Arunachal Pradesh, has been made very clear, time and again. Recently also, we stated in this regard. China may repeat its baseless claims as many times as it wants, but that is not going to change our position. Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India," Jaiswal said.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on March 19 that it had noted the comments made by the spokesperson of the Chinese Defence Ministry "advancing absurd claims over the territory of Arunachal Pradesh and asserted that the state "was, is and will always be" an integral and inalienable part of India.
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