China Provokes India By Renaming 11 Places In Arunachal
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2023-04-04 06:31:42
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Even as India and China are engaged in (what many see as a futile exercise given China's inflexible attitude and expansionist designs) in cooling tempers at the LAC, China has gone ahead and given Mandarin names to 11 sites in Arunachal Pradesh. Although this is in line with the Chinese policy of periodically renaming places in Arunachal as per its wish (it started this in 2017 and has, with the latest exercise, renamed 33 places), there is no doubt that this is provocative. Beijing has always maintained that Arunachal is South Tibet (in fact it calls it Zangnan and has never recognized Arunachal Pradesh) and India is illegally occupying the region while India has always said that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.
This provocation will have adverse effect on bilateral relations. India has been trying hard to convince the Chinese side that a return to pre-Doklam positions is best for both the nations till the border dispute is settled though negotiations, although the seriousness of the exercise is in doubt as the Special Representatives for the border dialogue have not met since 2019. Any transgression on part of China is an act of war and as the skirmishes on the LAC have proved, India is not going to take things lying down. With technological advances in surveillance, the Chinese side cannot hope to surreptitiously enter and occupy Indian territory as it had done in the past.
The hectic activity in the Chinese side of the LAC, with rapid development of infrastructure and movement of additional troops and heavy artillery at some places shows that China is consolidating its positions and more Doklam-like face-offs cannot be ruled out in the near future. India, on its part, has also started improving the border infrastructure but it is in no position to match the Chinese unless it scales it up immediately and on war footing. China has its eye specifically on the Chicken's Neck, Arunachal Pradesh and many points in Ladakh. India has to be ready to give a fitting reply to any transgression on part of China, if and when it happens.
