India has outrightly rejected China’s objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, media reports said.
India has maintained Arunachal Pradesh “was, is, and will” remain an “integral and inalienable part” of the country.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement, “We reject the comments made by the Chinese side regarding the visit of the Prime Minister to Arunachal Pradesh. Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time, as they visit other States of India.
“Objecting to such visits or India’s developmental projects does not stand to reason. Further, it will not change the reality that the State of Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Chinese side has been made aware of this consistent position on several occasions.”
China on Monday lodged a complaint with New Delhi over Modi’s last week visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by the hostile neighbour.
India and China have a long running dispute over territorial boundaries, especially over Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Ladakh under Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1962 China and India fought a brief war over Aksai Chin (Ladakh region) and Arunachal Pradesh, but in 1993 and 1996 the two countries signed agreements to respect the Line of Actual Control.
The 4,057 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the effective border between India and People’s Republic of China (PRC).