China has released a fourth list containing 30 more names for various places in Arunachal Pradesh, as part of its ongoing efforts to assert its claim to the Indian state.
India has consistently opposed Chinese attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, stressing that the state is an integral part of the nation and renaming places does not change that fact.
The state-run Global Times newspaper reported on Sunday that China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs had released the fourth list of standardized geographical names in Zangnan, the Chinese name for Arunachal Pradesh.
Beijing says Arunachal Pradesh is part of southern Tibet, and the ministry’s official website has added 30 more names for the region.
The report suggested that under Article 13, implementation is to take effect on May 1 and “local names in foreign languages that may harm China’s territorial claims and sovereign rights shall not be directly quoted or translated without permission.”
China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs published an initial list of standardized names for six places in Zangnan in 2017. Subsequently, a second list consisting of 15 places was published in 2021, followed by another list containing names for 11 places in 2023.
In the latest release of the names by China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, a Global Times report said the translation of place names into foreign or minority languages should conform to standards formulated by the relevant authorities of the State Council, which is China’s central cabinet.
Also Read
- IMD says extreme heat likely in April-June in India
- India will soon end all toll plazas across the country
According to executive actions, standard translations are published through notices, national databases of place names and public publications on place names.
The State Council said that in April 2022, it promulgated revised regulations on place names that cover the naming, renaming, use, cultural protection and other management of place names in Chinese territory.
Problem with the Sela tunnel
China recently made a statement to renew its territorial claims against the state, which began with Beijing filing a diplomatic complaint against India over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
During the visit, Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel, located at an altitude of 13,000 feet in Arunachal Pradesh.
The tunnel will provide an all-weather link to strategically located Tawangu and is expected to provide better troop movement along the border area.
China’s foreign and defense ministries have issued a series of statements to highlight China’s claims to the area.
