China Defends Renaming Areas in Arunachal Pradesh; India Rejects Move

China defended its decision to assign new names to places in Arunachal Pradesh, calling the region part of its territory (“Zangnan”) and stating the move is within its sovereignty. Beijing also said its policy to improve ties with India remains unchanged.

India strongly rejected the move, calling the names “fictitious” and asserting they do not change ground reality. The issue comes amid broader tensions, including China’s recent administrative changes in disputed regions like Aksai Chin.