National Desk, 21st March: In response to recent assertions by the Chinese military regarding Arunachal Pradesh’s sovereignty, a US official has affirmed Washington’s acknowledgment of the region as Indian territory. The statement comes amidst escalating tensions over territorial disputes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Addressing the issue, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department, Vedant Patel, emphasized the United States’ firm stance against unilateral attempts to alter territorial boundaries. Patel reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is recognized as Indian territory, denouncing any incursions or encroachments across the LAC, whether military or civilian.
The US response follows a statement by Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defence Ministry, disputing India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh and referring to it as ‘Zangnan’. In counter, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, dismissed China’s claims as baseless and reaffirmed the region’s integral status within India.
The recent tensions escalated earlier this month when China protested against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh. During the visit, Modi inaugurated the Sela tunnel, a significant infrastructure project enhancing all-weather connectivity to Tawang, a region bordering China to the north.
Read More: Two Back-To-Back Earthquake Hits Arunachal Pradesh, no damages reported