'Routine Practice': China Responds To India's Protest Over Beijing's Map Staking Claim To Arunachal

China on Wednesday reacted to India's objection to its new map that showed Aksai Chin and the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory.

New Delhi: China on Wednesday reacted to India's objection to its new map that showed Aksai Chin and the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory.

While responding to a question regarding the controversial map, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, "On August 28, the Ministry of Natural Resources of China released the 2023 version of the standard map. This is a routine practice of China in exercising its sovereignty in accordance with the law."

"I hope that relevant parties will take an objective and calm view and not over-interpret it," he added.

The statement comes after India on Tuesday registered a strong protest through diplomatic channels with Beijing on China's 2023 "standard map” which lays claim to Indian territory.

"We have today lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so-called 2023 "standard map” of China that lays claim to India’s territory," External Affairs Ministry's Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

"We reject these claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question,” he added.

India's reaction came a day after China’s state-run Global Times stated that the 2023 edition of China's standard map was officially released on Monday and launched on the website of the standard map service hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The map featured parts of Indian territory with areas including Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin region as well as Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea. 

India has continuously communicated that "Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India." 

Meanwhile, the Congress on Tuesday targetted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over China’s 2023 edition of the “standard map” with party leader Pawan Khera saying that PM Modi has given a clean chit to Beijing and that India under the Modi government is accepting the Chinese claim line.

“A Prime Minister of 140 crore people standing in front of them with tied hands does not give a good message to the world... As soon as the BRICS Summit was over, China released a map showing Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as a part of China,” he told news agency ANI.