The United States has unequivocally recognized Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India and has voiced its strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims through the renaming of localities. The White House made this statement in response to Beijing’s recent announcement of Chinese names for 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims is part of southern Tibet. China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs released the official names of these places on Sunday.
During a daily news conference on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reaffirmed the US’s longstanding recognition of Arunachal Pradesh as part of India and reiterated the country’s objection to any attempts to change this status quo. India has also rejected China’s attempt to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, with the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stating that the state is an integral and inalienable part of India and that invented names will not alter this reality.
This is not the first time China has attempted to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh. The country previously issued standardized geographical names for six places in 2017 and 15 places in 2021. China’s latest renaming efforts come amidst the ongoing border standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh, which has been ongoing since May 2020. Despite China’s efforts to assert its territorial claims, the US and India remain steadfast in their recognition of Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India.
