China border dispute

India and China have long disputed sovereignty over the area, which New Delhi calls "Arunachal Pradesh", while Beijing claims it belongs to "Tibet South" (southern Tibet). China has renamed the area on its official maps and issued separate visas to Indian citizens residing there to assert its sovereignty.

"Tibet has been Chinese territory since ancient times. This is an undeniable fact," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said at a press conference on March 28, according to Newsweek .

Mr. Ngo's remarks were a direct response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the strategic Himalayan region earlier this month.

China-India border dispute escalates after US statement

During his trip, Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel, a major infrastructure project to enhance connectivity with the Tawang region in western Arunachal Pradesh, where Indian and Chinese troops clashed in December 2022. Construction began in October 2020.

The statement from a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman comes amid heightened tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) separating the two Asian powers in recent times.

Sela Pass in the Tawang area of ​​Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls Tibet

The US has upset China by voicing support for India over Beijing's criticism of the Sela tunnel.

"The United States recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and we strongly oppose any unilateral attempt to advance territorial claims through incursions or transgressions across the LAC, whether military or civilian in nature," US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said last week.

Mr. Ngo Khiem responded to the statement from Washington. "The United States has a bad record of provoking disputes with other countries and pursuing its own selfish interests in the past, and the international community clearly sees this," he said at a press conference on March 28.

Earlier this month, China's Foreign Ministry criticized the US for meddling in border tensions between India and China.

"China deeply regrets and firmly opposes this. The China-India border has never been demarcated. Southern Tibet has always been China's territory, a basic fact that cannot be denied... The China-India border issue is an issue between the two countries and has nothing to do with the US side," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian.

New Delhi called Beijing’s claims “baseless.” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said on March 28 that Arunachal Pradesh was an integral part of India, a fact that could not be changed despite China’s persistent assertions.

"Our position has been made very clear. China can repeat its baseless claims as many times as it wants. That will not change India's position," the Times of India quoted Mr. Jaiswal as saying at a press conference.

The public war of words continues amid efforts to ease border tensions. Representatives of China and India held the 29th round of dialogue in Beijing on March 27.

At the border, Chinese and Indian military leaders have also held 21 rounds of talks, but at the same time both sides continue to deploy armed forces.

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