India responded firmly to China’s criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, stating that the northeastern state is an integral part of India.
Dismissing Chinese objections, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that Indian leaders regularly visit Arunachal Pradesh, just as they do other states in India. He highlighted the lack of reasoning behind objecting to such visits or India’s developmental projects.
The government also reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh “was, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India”.
This response comes after Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed strong opposition to Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the “East Section of the China-India boundary” during a regular press conference on March 11. Wang Wenbin stated that China “strongly deplores and firmly opposes” the visit, raising concerns with India.
PM Modi virtually inaugurated the Sela Tunnel on March 9 during an event in Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh. The tunnel, constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at an altitude of 13,000 feet, connects Tezpur, Assam, to Tawang in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet, consistently objects to Indian leaders’ visits to the state, asserting its territorial claims. Beijing refers to the region as Zangnan.