CHINA has sharply rebuked India for formally naming 27 sites in the disputed Himalayan region, accusing New Delhi of trying to alter established Chinese place names and reaffirming its territorial claim over Arunachal Pradesh.
China’s Foreign Ministry said today that India’s move was “illegal and invalid”, arguing that renaming locations could not alter what Beijing regards as its sovereignty over the territory.
“India attempting to replace the names long used by China is illegal and invalid, and cannot change the fact that Zangnan belongs to China,” the ministry said in a statement.
Zangnan is Beijing’s name for Arunachal Pradesh, the north-eastern Indian state that China claims as part of its territory and refers to as southern Tibet.
Bloomberg cited on Monday that India announced the new names on Aug 7 for a number of geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh, including mountain passes, a lake and a war memorial, in a move that underscored New Delhi’s sovereignty over the region.
“Identifying them formally on the Survey of India map of Arunachal Pradesh is aimed at facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public at large,” India’s Ministry of Home Affairs said in its statement.
The locations include the Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La and Thag La mountain passes, Sambho Sarovar lake and the Sher-e-Thapa Memorial.
China’s state-run Global Times on Aug 9 quoted scholars as describing India’s move as unilateral and warning that it “could complicate efforts to properly handle border issues.”
The latest dispute mirrors an earlier move by Beijing to issue standardised Chinese names for locations in Arunachal Pradesh, which India has described as “mischievous” and an attempt to advance “false claims”.
Arunachal Pradesh “will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in April.
The two countries share a 3,488km-long, largely unmarked frontier that has repeatedly fuelled tensions, most seriously during a deadly border clash in June 2020 that left soldiers dead on both sides.
Relations have since shown signs of improvement, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin last August as both sides sought to repair ties.
Indian and Chinese officials also met in New Delhi on Aug 6 and agreed to maintain diplomatic and military communication aimed at preserving peace and stability along their frontier.
The naming dispute comes as concerns over Chinese activity along the border gain traction in India, with videos posted by Indian content creators alleging increased Chinese activity in Arunachal Pradesh circulating widely on social media.
The claims could not be independently verified but have nevertheless intensified political scrutiny of Modi’s government over border security during the current parliamentary session. - August 10, 2026
