As Amit Shah Visits Arunachal Pradesh, Beijing Says It Violates Chinese Sovereignty

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the northeastern state comes days after China announced the renaming of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh in Chinese.

Amit Shah inspecting Border Outpost of ITBP in Arunachal Pradesh

New Delhi: China on Monday opposed Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh and said that it violated Chinese sovereignty over the area. Responding to a question on Shah's visit at a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the senior Indian official's activity in the area is 'not conducive to peace and tranquility' in the border regions. Wang Wenbin also said that Zangnan -- the Chinese name for Arunachal Pradesh -- is China's territory.

New Delhi, which recently slammed Beijing for its move to rename some places in the border state in an attempt to stake its claim over the area, has so far not reacted to Wang's statement.

"The activity of the senior Indian official in Zangnan violates China’s territorial sovereignty and is not conducive to peace and tranquility in the border areas. We are firmly against this," Wang Wenbin said.

Amit Shah visited Arunachal Pradesh on Monday to launch the 'Vibrant Village' programme in the border village of Kibithoo.

Earlier last week, China announced the renaming of 11 more places in Arunachal Pradesh in Chinese which they claim as Southern Tibet.

India, however, responded sharply and said that Arunachal Pradesh 'is, has been, and will always' be an integral and inalienable part of India.

"Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.

Our response to media queries on the statement issued by OIC Secretariat regarding India:https://t.co/CYtJely0hO pic.twitter.com/VnGUVyqXpf — Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) April 4, 2023

It was the third batch of standardised geographical names for Arunachal Pradesh issued by China's civil affairs ministry.

China's renaming of the places in Arunachal Pradesh came in the midst of the lingering eastern Ladakh border standoff that began in May 2020.

Since the standoff, India has bolstered its overall military preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Arunachal Pradesh sector as well.

The troops of the Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a nearly three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement of troops from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.

India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

No one can encroach even an inch of our land: Amit Shah in Arunachal Pradesh

Amit Shah on Monday launched the 'Vibrant Village' programme in the border village of Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh.

In his address, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said that the era when anyone could encroach on India's borderlands has passed and that 'no one can dare' cast an evil eye on its territorial integrity.

He said border areas are the top priority of the Narendra Modi-led government.

"The era is gone when anyone could encroach on our lands. Now, not even land equal to 'sui ki noke' (inch of land) can be encroached...," Shah said.

He also said that in 1962, whoever came to encroach on this land had to return because of the patriotic people living here. 

Speaking at the launch of ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ from Kibithoo, the border village of Arunachal Pradesh and India’s easternmost place. #VibrantVillagesProgram https://t.co/MRbQxWzMkW — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 10, 2023

The minister said the 'Vibrant Village' scheme envisages that tap water, electricity, cooking gas, financial inclusion, digital and physical connectivity, and employment opportunities are available in the remote border areas.

He said the government has set a three-year target for making available such facilities in these regions.

This scheme has a three-pronged aim as this will ensure the personal development of individuals, provide basic facilities and employment avenues so that they do not desert the border villages for better opportunities in the mainland, and provide facilities of basic infrastructure, electricity, and health, Shah said.

During his visit, Shah also inspected the border outpost of the ITBP in Arunachal Pradesh and took stock of the force's preparedness.

Inspected the Border Outpost of the @ITBP_official in Arunachal Pradesh and took stock of the force's preparedness. pic.twitter.com/ldSjX4FG6J — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 10, 2023