India Reacts To China's Objection On VP Naidu's Arunachal Visit, Says Remarks Doesn't Stand

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Beijing’s position on the boundary issue is consistent and clear.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu receives artwork from the Speaker of Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Pasang Dorjee Sona, depicting Naidu in Memba traditional attire, during his visit to Arunachal Pradesh Assembly in Itanagar, Saturday, October 9, 2021. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: Objecting to Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu’s recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, China on Wednesday said it is firmly opposed to the Indian leader’s visit to the state as it has never recognised it.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Beijing’s position on the boundary issue is consistent and clear.

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Zhao said the Chinese government has never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh established unilaterally and illegally by the Indian side and is firmly opposed to the Indian leader's visit to the area concerned.

“We urge the Indian side to earnestly respect China's major concerns, stop taking any action that would complicate and expand the boundary issue and refrain from undermining mutual trust and bilateral relations,” he added replying to a question from the official media about Vice President Naidu's visit to Arunachal Pradesh at a media briefing here, PTI reported.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman further said it should instead take real concrete actions to maintain peace and stability in the China-India border areas and help bring the bilateral relations back on to the track of sound and steady development.

Meanwhile, New Delhi objected to the comments made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman and said “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India”.

“Objecting to the visit of Indian leaders to an Indian state does not stand to reason and understanding of Indian people. We reject such comments. Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. Indian leaders routinely travel to the State as they do to any other state of India,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, ANI reported.

Vice President Naidu visited Arunachal Pradesh earlier on October 9 and addressed a special session of the state assembly during which he asserted the north-eastern region is now decisively breaking from its troubled past and is witnessing a new era of resurgence as evident in substantial improvement in economic and Human Development Indices, expansion of infrastructure development and steep decline in insurgency over the last seven years.

China, which routinely objects to the visits by the Indian leaders to Arunachal Pradesh to buttress its stand, claims the state as part of South Tibet.

The India-China boundary dispute covers 3,488 km along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).