In a firm response to Beijing’s latest attempt to rename locations in Arunachal Pradesh, India on Sunday (April 12, 2026) said such actions are aimed at manufacturing “baseless narratives” and will not alter ground realities. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi “categorically rejects” any “mischievous attempts” by China to assign “fictitious names” to Indian territory.
India made it clear that China’s repeated efforts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh have no bearing on sovereignty. “India categorically rejects any mischievous attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places which form part of the territory of India,” Jaiswal said at a press briefing.
He further underlined that attempts by China at introducing false claims and manufacturing baseless narratives cannot alter the undeniable reality that these places and territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, were, are, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.
Beijing has released multiple such lists over the years, starting in 2017, followed by 2021 and 2023, and now a fresh list, renaming locations in what it calls “Zangnan”, its term for Arunachal Pradesh. China continues to claim Arunachal Pradesh as part of “southern Tibet”.
India, however, has consistently dismissed these moves, including sharp reactions in May last year and April 2024 when similar attempts were made.
The recurring pattern highlights a continuing friction point in the India-China equation, even as both sides attempt diplomatic stabilisation.
How could this impact India-China relations?
New Delhi warned that such actions by Beijing could undermine fragile efforts to rebuild ties following the 2020 eastern Ladakh border standoff.
In the latest briefing, MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said these moves “detract from ongoing efforts to stabilise and normalise India-China bilateral ties”, adding that “China should refrain from actions which inject negativity into relations and undermine efforts to create a better understanding.”
Where do India-China ties stand currently?
Relations between the two countries have remained strained since the eastern Ladakh border row in 2020, which marked the most serious military confrontation in decades.
While the past year-and-a-half has seen a series of diplomatic and military-level engagements aimed at disengagement and de-escalation, trust deficits persist. China’s continued renaming exercises risk complicating this delicate process, even as both nations seek a pathway towards normalcy.
Arunachal Pradesh remains a core issue in the India-China boundary dispute. While India considers it an integral part of its territory, China lays claim to it as part of southern Tibet.