Archive · 11 Aug 2026
China calls India's Arunachal Pradesh place-name move illegal
Two big countries, China and India, disagree about a piece of land.
India says the land is part of a state called Arunachal Pradesh.
China says the land belongs to China and calls it Zangnan.
Countries usually give names to places in their own land.
India recently picked official names for 27 places on this land for its map.
China did not like that.
China's spokesperson said India's naming is 'illegal, null and void,' which means it is not allowed and has no power.
For many years, China has also been giving these places Chinese names.
India says China's names are 'vain and preposterous,' which means pointless and silly.
Both countries say the land belongs to them, and neither side agrees with the other.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun called India's move to name 27 places and features in Arunachal Pradesh by standard names 'illegal, null and void.'
China said it does not recognise the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh' and insisted the move would not change the fact that the Zangnan region belongs to China.
India last week formally identified 27 places and features in the state by their standard names on the official Indian map.
China's Civil Affairs Ministry has periodically released Chinese names for Arunachal Pradesh locations since 2017, with the last set released in April this year.
India has consistently rejected China's renaming moves as 'vain and preposterous,' asserting Arunachal Pradesh 'was, is, and will' always remain an integral part of India.
- Who
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun and the Chinese government on one side; the Indian government on the other.
- What
- China rejected India's formal identification of 27 places and features in Arunachal Pradesh by their standard names on the official Indian map, calling the move 'illegal, null and void.'
- When
- China's statement was made on Monday, following India's announcement last week.
- Where
- Arunachal Pradesh, a state in northeastern India that China claims as the Zangnan region.
- Why
- Both countries claim the territory; China says the naming will not change the fact that the Zangnan region belongs to China, while India asserts Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.
China's Position
India's Position
Validity of place naming
China's Position
India's naming of 27 places in the region is 'illegal, null and void'; China does not recognise the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh' and says its own names are those long used by China.
India's Position
China's renaming attempts are 'vain and preposterous'; they will not alter the 'undeniable' reality that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.
Territorial ownership of the region
China's Position
The Zangnan region belongs to China, and India's move cannot change that fact.
India's Position
Arunachal Pradesh 'was, is, and will' always remain an integral part of India.
- Countries involved
- China and India
- Disputed region
- Arunachal Pradesh, called Zangnan by China
- Places named by India
- 27 places and features
- China's official response
- "Illegal, null and void"
- Chinese spokesperson
- Guo Jiakun, Foreign Ministry
- China's naming body
- Civil Affairs Ministry (releasing names since 2017)
- India's response to China's naming
- "Vain and preposterous"