India Rejects China’s ‘Fictitious Naming’ of Places in Arunachal Pradesh

India has strongly criticised China for assigning what it described as “fictitious names” to locations within Indian territory, including areas in Arunachal Pradesh, terming the move a “mischievous attempt” to distort established realities.

In a firmly worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs categorically rejected Beijing’s actions, asserting that such efforts to impose alternative nomenclature hold no legal or geopolitical validity. “India unequivocally rejects these attempts to assign fabricated names to places that are integral parts of its sovereign territory,” the statement noted.

The ministry further emphasised that such measures are aimed at promoting unfounded claims and constructing misleading narratives, which cannot alter the ground reality. It reiterated that regions including Arunachal Pradesh “were, are, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”

New Delhi also cautioned that such actions could adversely impact ongoing efforts to stabilise bilateral relations, urging Beijing to avoid steps that might “inject negativity” into diplomatic engagement and undermine progress toward mutual understanding.

India’s response follows Beijing’s recent announcement assigning Chinese names to several locations in Arunachal Pradesh. This is not an isolated development; in May 2025, India had similarly dismissed China’s attempt to rename 27 places in the state. At the time, official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had reiterated India’s consistent stance, stating that “creative naming” would not change the factual status of the region.

Such naming exercises by China have occurred periodically—in 2017, 2021, 2023, and 2024—often coinciding with heightened tensions along the disputed border. Notably, the 2017 episode followed the visit of Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh.

The latest diplomatic exchange also comes amid continuing sensitivities surrounding border disputes, particularly in Ladakh. Concerns have been further heightened by China’s recent administrative restructuring in the Xinjiang region, near strategically sensitive areas adjoining Afghanistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

While there has been a degree of diplomatic thaw following the Galwan Valley clash, including high-level engagements such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and his bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping, developments along the border continue to remain a point of strategic concern for New Delhi.