'Such Steps Only Complicate...': India Lodges Strong Protest Over China's New Map

India on Tuesday rejected claims by China over Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin in its latest map and lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the neighbouring country.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a statement,  said such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question.

“We have today lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so-called 2023 “standard map” of China that lays claim to India’s territory. We reject these claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question,” the MEA said.

After China incorporated disputed areas, including its claims over India’s Arunachal Pradesh in its latest map, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday hit back at the neighbouring country, saying making absurd claims does not make other people’s territories yours.

Jaishankar dubbed China’s action as an “old habit” and said it does not change anything.

“China has put out maps with territories (that are) not theirs. (It is an) old habit. Just by putting out maps with parts of India… this doesn’t change anything. Our government is very clear about what our territory. Making absurd claims does not make other people’s territories yours,” the EAM told NDTV.

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The release of the controversial map comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit in South Africa. Apart from Arunachal Pradesh, the map reflects Chinese claims over the Aksai Chin region, Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea.

India has repeatedly said that the state of Arunachal Pradesh has “always been” and will “always be” an integral part of the country.

The 2023 edition of China’s standard map was officially released on Monday and launched on the website of the standard map service hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources, state-run Global Times said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. This map is compiled based on the drawing method of the national boundaries of China and various countries in the world, the post said.

The 2023 edition of China’s standard map was officially released on Monday and launched on the website of the standard map service hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources, state-run Global Times said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. This map is compiled based on the drawing method of the national boundaries of China and various countries in the world, the post said.

The map also displayed by the Global Times showed Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as South Tibet, and Aksai Chin occupied by it in the 1962 war. India has repeatedly told China that “Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.” The map also incorporated China’s claims over the estranged island of Taiwan and the nine-dash line claiming a large part of the South China Sea.

China claims Taiwan as part of its mainland and its integration with the mainland is part of a vowed objective of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the South China Sea areas.