China Responds Strongly to India's Decision on Arunachal Pradesh Geographical Names

China has responded strongly to India's decision to set standard names for 27 geographical locations in Arunachal Pradesh. The state-run Global Times claims that these areas fall under China's Zangnan region. In fact, China calls Arunachal Pradesh and its adjacent areas by this name and claims them to be part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The paper reported that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiaqun told a regular press briefing on 14 April that the Zangnan area is part of China and China does not recognize the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally created by India. The Chinese government's decision to issue standard names for some locations in Zangnan is entirely within China's sovereign rights. The response came after India's Survey of India updated its official map identifying 21 areas in Arunachal Pradesh, four passes, a high-altitude glacial lake, and a 1962 war hero's monument on Sunday. The Global Times said that the government had taken this step to ensure correct geographical identification and historical mapping of the places.