China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs has released a third set of names for places in Arunachal Pradesh, an Indian state, in Chinese, Tibetan, and pinyin characters. The move is part of China’s efforts to assert its claim over the region. The 11 places were named “Zangnan, the southern part of Tibet” according to regulations on geographical names issued by China’s cabinet, the State Council. The ministry also gave the precise coordinates, listed the category of places’ names, and their subordinate administrative districts.
India has previously dismissed China’s move of renaming some places in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state has “always been” and will “always be” an integral part of India. These are different news headlines. The first headline reports that Rahul Gandhi, an Indian politician, has been granted bail in a defamation case by a Surat court. The second headline reports that Himanta Biswa Sarma, another Indian politician, has responded to an invitation by Arvind Kejriwal to have tea, with a comment of his own. The third headline discusses the Dalai Lama’s escape from Tibet and his subsequent refuge in India.
China’s announcement of the first set of standardized names for places in Arunachal Pradesh in 2017 came just days after the Dalai Lama visited the Indian state, which China strongly criticized. China has long viewed the Dalai Lama as a separatist and considers his visits to any part of India as a provocative act. The move to announce standardized names for places in Arunachal Pradesh was seen as a part of China’s efforts to assert its territorial claims over the region, which it regards as part of southern Tibet.
