SRINAGAR: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday firmly rejected China’s attempts to assign Chinese names to locations in Indian territory, calling them baseless and fictitious claims.
Our response to media queries regarding China giving fictitious names to places ⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/j6WPzitrh2 pic.twitter.com/NDK1ZACyUZ
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 12, 2026
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that such actions amount to “false claims” and “groundless narratives” that do not alter the fact that regions including Arunachal Pradesh are and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India.
He further noted that such unilateral naming exercises undermine efforts to stabilise and normalise India-China relations, and urged Beijing to avoid steps that create unnecessary tensions and disrupt diplomatic engagement.
The statement came after China released new Chinese-language names for several locations in Arunachal Pradesh. India had earlier, in May 2025, also rejected a similar Chinese move involving the renaming of 27 places, terming it unacceptable.
China has carried out similar naming exercises in 2017, 2021, 2023, and 2024, often during periods of heightened border tensions; the first such instance followed the Dalai Lama’s visit to the region in 2017.
