The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated India's claim to Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday following ‘absurd claims’ put forth by the Chinese Defence Ministry. The development came days after Beijing dubbed the northeastern state an 'inherent part of China's territory' and objected to a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India has rejected its neighbour's objections to the trip.
“Repeating baseless arguments in this regard does not lend such claims any validity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Its people will continue to benefit from our development programmes and infrastructure projects,” said MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
The two nuclear-armed countries share a 3,000-km border — much of it poorly demarcated. Earlier this month, reports indicated that the Indian government had freed up a contingent of 10,000 soldiers — previously deployed at its western border — to strengthen the Sino-India boundary. According to a Bloomberg report, they will join an existing contingent of 9,000 soldiers.
The MEA remarks came as a response to comments made by Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang. The official had issued a sharp rebuke after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a road tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh on March 9.
Zhang had asked India to "stop taking any moves that complicate the border issue and earnestly maintain peace and stability in the border areas". The tunnel inauguration, he insisted, ran counter to efforts made by both sides to ease the border situation.
“Zangnan is China's inherent territory, and China never recognizes and firmly opposes India's illegal establishment of the so-called Arunachal Pradesh,” he asserted on March 15.
(With inputs from agencies)
