China gets an earful from India as Beijing attempts to provoke New Delhi

New Delhi: India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday slammed China, even as Bejing continues to indulge in provocative behavior with New Delhi.

Calling the Chinese govt issuing new names for 15 locations in Arunachal Pradesh as "ridiculous exercise to support untenable territorial claims" MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "instead of engaging in such antics China will work constructively with us to resolve the outstanding friction points in areas along the Western Sector of the LAC in India-China border areas."

China has been involved in a military buildup at the line of actual control in eastern Ladakh since 2020. That year also saw the Galwan incident in which India lost 20 of its soldiers, while China claimed to lose only 4 soliders, a figure which is doubted given the country's nontransparent record. 

MEA spokesperson reminded Bejing that, "Arunachal Pradesh has always been and will always remain an inalienable part of India" and calling Tuting as “DouDeng” or River Siyom as “XiYueMu” or even Kibithu as “Daba” won’t "alter the fact".  China sees the Indian state as the so-called "South Tibet", and has been in the past indulging in such steps. China had also sought to assign names of places in Arunachal Pradesh in April 2017.

Beijing's provocations started on January 1, 2022, with the release of videos of Chinese soldiers unfurling flags in areas purported to be Galwan. Later Security establishment sources released pictures of Indian soldiers in Galwan dismissing the claims. Last year saw disengagement at areas like Pangong lake, Gogra in eastern Ladakh but tensions remain high as China continues to build in rapid infrastructural development on its side of LAC.

Reacting to the development of bridge being made at the Pangong lake, spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "this bridge is being constructed in areas that have been under illegal occupation by China for around 60 years now" and "India has never accepted such illegal occupation."

India has beefed up the development of border infrastructure significantly. Around 100 bridges, roads, tunnels constructed by BRO were inaugurated in 2021.  BRO constructed road over Umling La Pass, in Eastern Ladakh, at 19,024 ft above sea level is the highest motorable road in the world and was inaugurated virtually by Defence minister on December 28, 2021.

Asked about the letter written by Political Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy to Indian MPs for attending Tibet event, spokesperson said, "substance, tone and tenor of the letter are inappropriate" and "Chinese side should note that India is a vibrant democracy and Hon’ble MPs, as representatives of the people, undertake activities as per their views and beliefs."

Advising the Chinese to "refrain from hyping normal activities by Hon’ble MPs", the spokesperson said that it could "complicate further the situation in our bilateral relations." 

The Indian MPs who participated in the meet were — Jairam Ramesh, Manish Tiwari, Sujeet Kumar, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Ramdas Athawale, Maneka Gandhi. The letter by Political Counsellor, Chinese Embassy to India Zhou Yongsheng calls on Indian MPs to not engage with "out-and-out separatist political group and an illegal organization". The letter is seen as a wolf warrior diplomacy by China, part of a global trend by its diplomats who have been doing this in past and across the world. 

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