New Delhi, 12 April

India on Sunday dismissed Beijing's recent attempts to assign "fictitious names" to geographical locations, a move that coincides with reports of China establishing a new county in its Xinjiang province near the borders of Afghanistan, Arunachal Pradesh, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Addressing the development, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified New Delhi's stance on the administrative manoeuvres along contested border regions.

"India categorically rejects any mischievous attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places which form part of the territory of India," Jaiswal said in his statement.

The spokesperson emphasised that the renaming of locations does not change the sovereign status of the regions involved. He asserted that "such attempts by China at introducing false claims and manufacturing baseless narratives cannot alter the undeniable reality that these places and territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, were, are, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India."

Turning to the broader impact on regional diplomacy, Jaiswal warned that such unilateral actions by Beijing could hamper the progress made in diplomatic channels. "These actions by the Chinese side detract from ongoing efforts to stabilise and normalise India-China bilateral ties. China should refrain from actions that inject negativity into relations and undermine efforts to create a better understanding," the spokesperson added.

This diplomatic pushback comes amidst persisting friction regarding territorial disputes in Ladakh, where Beijing has established a fresh administrative division in the Xinjiang region, situated near the borders of Afghanistan and PoK.

The new county, identified as "Cenling," was officially sanctioned by the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region government on 26 March and will fall under the jurisdiction of the "Kashgar prefecture," according to a report in the South China Morning Post. Positioned in the vicinity of the "Karakoram mountain range," the creation of this unit carries significant geopolitical weight due to its proximity to both Afghanistan and PoK.

This development marks the third time in just over a year that China has carved out a new county within Xinjiang. New Delhi has previously raised formal objections with Beijing regarding the formation of "Hean" and "Hekang" counties, maintaining that portions of the land designated under Chinese jurisdiction actually belong to the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Specifically, the "Hean county" encompasses a large section of the "Aksai Chin" plateau. While this territory has been under Chinese administration since the 1962 conflict, India continues to view it as an integral part of Ladakh, leaving it as a primary source of bilateral discord.

The administrative hub for the new county, "Kashgar," is a prominent historical site on the "Silk Road" and functions as a vital link between China and South and Central Asia. Furthermore, it serves as the origin of the "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor," a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project that traverses through PoK, a move India has repeatedly protested as a violation of its sovereignty.

Although the precise "administrative divisions and boundaries" of Cenling remain undisclosed, the location of the unit near sensitive zones underscores the high level of concern regarding China's ongoing administrative restructuring along international borders.