National Desk, 29th August: China has officially unveiled its 2023 edition of the “standard map,” a move that has ignited controversy due to its inclusion of disputed regions. The map incorporates areas that are contentious, including Arunachal Pradesh, the Aksai Chin region, Taiwan, and the disputed South China Sea.
The release of the map was announced on Monday and made available on the website of the standard map service hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources, according to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the state-run Global Times.
The map is claimed to be compiled using the drawing method for national boundaries of China and other countries worldwide, as stated in the post.
Highlighted on the map are regions such as Arunachal Pradesh, referred to by China as South Tibet, and Aksai Chin, which China took control of during the 1962 conflict.
India has consistently maintained that “Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.” The map also reflects China’s assertions over Taiwan and its expansive territorial claim represented by the nine-dash line in the South China Sea.
Meanwhile, China’s President Xi Jinping has publicly expressed aspirations for the eventual incorporation of Taiwan into the mainland. In addition to China’s claims, several other nations including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan itself, have competing claims in the South China Sea.