‘Arunachal Pradesh part of India’: US amid China’s territorial claims

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 21

China and the US engaged in verbal skirmishing over India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh with Beijing stating that it opposes American observations on the issue.

Against incursions

The US strongly opposes any unilateral attempt to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the LAC. Vedant Patel, US official

China’s reaction came hours the US State Department said the US “recognises Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory” and “we (the US) strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the LAC”.

Speaking at his press conference on Wednesday, State Department Principal Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “The United States recognises Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control.”

In response, the Chinese Foreign Office said it “strongly deplores and firmly opposes” the US recognition of Arunachal Pradesh as part of Indian territory, and told Washington that it had nothing to do with the India-China border dispute. It also accused the US of “instigating and using other countries’ disputes” for selfish geopolitical interests. “The question of the China-India border issue is between China and India and it has nothing to do with the US. It is well known that the US has been instigating and using other countries’ disputes by all means to serve its selfish geo-political interests,” said the Chinese Foreign Office spokesperson at a media briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

Earlier, the Chinese government had deployed its Foreign and Defence Ministries to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating projects in Arunachal Pradesh that will further strengthen India’s border management.

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