'As It Really Is’: Former Army Chief Naravane Takes Dig At China Over Its 'Standard Map'

On August 28, China published a new version of its national map laying claims over Indian territories of Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin apart from Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea

Former Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Naravane (retd) on Tuesday took a dig at China over its 2023 edition of the “standard map” which lays claim over Indian territories of Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin apart from Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea. Sharing a map of China on X which showed several “occupied” regions including Ladakh and Tibet, Naravane wrote, “Finally someone has got the map of China as it really is.” The image shared by the former Army chief mocked China for laying claims over various territories Hong Kong and Taiwan. 

Last month on August 28, China published a new version of its national map to correct what Beijing has in the past referred to as “problematic maps” that it claims misrepresent its territorial borders.

Following the development, India lodged a strong protest with China and asserted that such steps only complicate the resolution of the boundary question. The External Affairs Ministry also rejected China's claims as having "no basis".

"Just making absurd claims does not make other people's territories yours," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said while reacting to the Chinese move.

The map also laid its authority over the South China Sea which has counterclaims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. 

The Philippines government also slammed China for showing swaths of Philippine features in the West Philippine Sea. 

The Malaysian government said it will send a protest note to China over the latter’s claims on the South China Sea as outlined in the ‘China Standard Map Edition 2023’, which also covers Malaysia's maritime areas.

Vietnam also criticised China’s latest provocation. Vietnam strongly reiterates its consistent stance on the sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly), and resolutely rejects any maritime claims of China that are based on the “nine-dash line” in the East Sea, spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said.