China says policy to improve relations with India remains unchanged amid Arunachal naming row

China on Tuesday said its policy to improve and develop relations with India remains unchanged, even as it defended its latest move to assign new names to several locations in Arunachal Pradesh, a step strongly rejected by New Delhi.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated Beijing’s long-standing claim over Arunachal Pradesh, referring to it as “Zangnan”, which China considers part of southern Tibet.

“Zangnan is China’s territory, and it is entirely within China’s sovereignty to standardise names in the region,” Guo said, defending the release of multiple batches of renamed locations since 2017.

Despite the sharp exchange, Guo maintained that bilateral relations remain stable and emphasised that China remains committed to improving ties with India. “We hope both sides will move in the same direction and take steps conducive to bilateral relations,” he added.

China has periodically released lists assigning new names to places in Arunachal Pradesh, which it claims as part of southern Tibet. India has consistently dismissed these claims and opposed such actions.

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The Centre on Sunday rejected China’s move to assign what it called “fictitious names” to places in Arunachal Pradesh, stating that such actions cannot change ground realities but may affect efforts to stabilise bilateral ties.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India “categorically rejects” any attempts by China to rename locations within Indian territory, stressing that such actions are aimed at creating “baseless narratives” and false claims.

“Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral part of India,” Jaiswal said, adding that renaming exercises do not alter facts on the ground.

He also cautioned that such moves could undermine ongoing efforts to improve India-China relations, which have remained strained since the 2020 eastern Ladakh standoff.

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The latest development also comes amid renewed friction over territorial assertions. In March, China announced the creation of Cenling county in Xinjiang, located near Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the western sector.

India has previously protested similar administrative moves, including the creation of Hean and Hekang counties, stating that parts of these jurisdictions fall within its Union Territory of Ladakh.

While diplomatic engagement between the two countries has improved in recent months, recurring disputes over territorial claims and symbolic actions such as renaming exercises continue to challenge efforts to fully normalise ties between the two neighbours.

(With PTI inputs)