China renames six places in AP on its map

NEWDELHI: China has unilaterally renamed six places in Arunachal Pradesh in standard Chinese in what appears to be the first sign of retaliation against the 14th Dalai Lama’s visit to India’s easternmost state earlier this month.

The names were changed to show to India the “sovereignty” of the region, said the Chinese state media, which on several occasions warned India of consequences for allowing the Tibetan spiritual leader to visit the “disputed area”.

Changing the names was China’s “legitimate” right and carried out according to Chinese law, the Chinese foreign ministry said, adding it supported Beijing’s territorial claim.

China says Arunachal Pradesh, on the 3,488-km disputed border between the two countries, is part of south Tibet with close Buddhist links with the Tibet Autonomous Region in the Mainland. It calls the Dharamsala-based Dalai Lama a separatist out to carve an independent Tibet within Chinese mainland.

“China has standardised the names of six places in South Tibet, a region that is part of China’s territory but in which some areas are currently controlled by India,” a state media report said on Tuesday.

Official Chinese maps show the state as part of south Tibet. “The official names of the six places using the Roman alphabet are Wo’gyainling, Mila Ri, Qoidêngarbo Ri, Mainquka, Bümo La and Namkapub Ri,” it said.

China’s ministry of civil affairs carried out the name changes on April 13, a day after the Dalai Lama left Arunachal following a nine-day high-profile visit. It was reported by the statecontrolled media on Tuesday.

“China’s position on the eastern section of our boundary is consistent and clear. To issue these names, it is actually carried out in accordance with our regulations about the names of localities and it is a legitimate action by the Chinese government,” Lu Kang, foreign ministry spokesperson said at the regular briefing on Wednesday.

According to Lu, the names have been “passed on from generation to generation by people who have lived there for generations, the Tibetan ethnic and Monpa ethnic groups. These names reflect from another side that China’s territorial claim over South Tibet is supported by evidence in terms of history, culture and administration.”

THE NAMES WERE CHANGED TO SHOW TO INDIA “SOVEREIGNTY” OF THE REGION