India Slams China Over ‘Fictitious Names’ Row, Says ‘Cannot Alter Reality’ Amid New County Near Ladakh And Arunachal Pradesh Borders

India on Sunday strongly dismissed China’s recent move to assign what it called “fictitious names” to geographical locations, a step that comes amid reports of Beijing creating a new county in its Xinjiang province near the borders of Afghanistan, Arunachal Pradesh, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Responding to the development, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made New Delhi’s position clear on the administrative changes in disputed regions. “India categorically rejects any mischievous attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places which form part of the territory of India,” Jaiswal said.

India-China Tensions Rise Over Renaming Row

He stressed that simply renaming places does not change their status. “such attempts by China at introducing false claims and manufacturing baseless narratives cannot alter the undeniable reality that these places and territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, were, are, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” he added.

Jaiswal also warned that such unilateral steps could hurt ongoing diplomatic efforts. “These actions by the Chinese side detract from ongoing efforts to stabilise and normalise India-China bilateral ties. China should refrain from actions that inject negativity into relations and undermine efforts to create better understanding,” the spokesperson said.

China’s New County Near Sensitive Borders Raises Concerns

The response comes as tensions continue over border disputes in Ladakh, with reports that China has created a new administrative unit in Xinjiang. The county, named “Cenling,” was approved on March 26 by the regional government and will come under the Kashgar prefecture, according to a report.

Located near the Karakoram Range, the new county lies close to Afghanistan and PoK, making it geopolitically sensitive. This is the third such move by China in just over a year, following the creation of “Hean” and “Hekang” counties, which India has also opposed.

Aksai Chin and Ladakh Remain Core Dispute Areas

India has consistently maintained that parts of these regions fall within its territory. The “Hean county,” for instance, includes a large portion of Aksai Chin, an area under Chinese control since 1962 but still claimed by India as part of Ladakh.

Meanwhile, Kashgar, which serves as the administrative hub for the new county, remains an important historical and strategic centre. It lies along the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road and is also linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a major infrastructure project passing through PoK that India has repeatedly opposed.

(With inputs from ANI)

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