China Reaffirms Stance on Arunachal Pradesh Amid Naming Controversy

China has reiterated its claim over Arunachal Pradesh, referring to it as Zangnan, while defending its recent naming of regions in the area. This move has drawn a strong response from India, which categorically rejects China's attempts to assign fictitious names to its territory. The ongoing tensions are further complicated by China's establishment of new administrative counties in disputed regions. As both nations navigate this diplomatic standoff, the future of their bilateral relations remains uncertain. Read on to explore the implications of these developments.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 14, 2026, 15:58 IST

China's Position on Arunachal Pradesh

A file image of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun. (Photo:@MFA_China/X)

Beijing, April 14: On Tuesday, China reiterated its unchanged policy towards enhancing relations with India while defending its recent decision to release new names for several locations in Arunachal Pradesh.

During a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun asserted that Zangnan is recognized as Chinese territory, dismissing the legitimacy of what he referred to as the "so-called Arunachal Pradesh."

Zangnan is the term used by China for Arunachal Pradesh, which it claims as part of southern Tibet.

Guo emphasized that it is within China's rights to standardize the names of certain areas in the Zangnan region, justifying the publication of six sets of names for Arunachal Pradesh.

He noted that the current state of China-India relations is generally stable, and reaffirmed that China's commitment to fostering and developing these relations remains steadfast.

"We hope both nations will align their efforts and take actions that promote bilateral relations," Guo stated.

In response, India firmly rejected China's attempts to assign "fictitious names" to Indian territory, asserting that such actions aimed at fabricating "baseless narratives" cannot change the "undeniable reality" and may hinder the normalization of bilateral relations.

This strong reaction from New Delhi coincided with China's establishment of a new administrative county in Aksai Chin, a region that India claims as its own.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal remarked, "India categorically rejects any deceptive attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places that are part of Indian territory."

On March 26, China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region announced the formation of Cenling county, strategically located near Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Afghanistan.

This area is also reportedly in proximity to the western sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India.

Cenling, situated near the Karakoram mountain range, marks the third new county established by China in Xinjiang, a region predominantly inhabited by Muslims of Uyghur descent.

Last year, India lodged a formal protest against China regarding the creation of Hean and Hekang counties, asserting that parts of their jurisdiction encroach upon its Union territory of Ladakh.

Since 2017, China has been publishing names for various regions in Arunachal Pradesh, which India has consistently opposed, maintaining that assigning "fictitious names" to Indian territory cannot alter the "undeniable reality."