Days after India rejected its attempts to rename some localities in Arunachal Pradesh, China has sought to make more comments regarding the Indian border state, stating that it “opposes” Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit.
“China firmly opposes the Indian official’s visit to Zangnan because Zangnan is China’s territory, and the visit violated China’s territorial sovereignty and is not conducive to peace and tranquillity in the border region,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a news briefing on Monday, according to China Daily, a state-affiliated daily. Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, launched the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ in Kibithoo, an Arunachal Pradesh border village, on Monday.
For the financial years 2022-23 to 2025-26, the Centre has authorised the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme,’ with a central component of Rs 4800 crore, including Rs.2500 crore specifically for road connectivity.
The program will aim to improve the quality of life of people living in specified border communities and encourage people to stay in their home areas, reversing outmigration from these villages and increasing border security.
Under the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme,’ 2967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts bordering the northern border in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, as well as the UT of Ladakh, have been identified for complete development.
China’s plans to rename 11 locations in Arunachal Pradesh were rejected earlier this month by the Ministry of External Affairs.
“We’ve seen similar stories. This is not the first time China has attempted something like this. We categorically oppose this. Arunachal Pradesh is, has always been, and will always be an intrinsic part of India. Attempts to assign created names will not change this reality,” according to MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
The US had also been outspoken in its opposition to China’s efforts to strengthen its claim to the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh by renaming sites
