India on Tuesday rejected China's objection to New Delhi assigning standardised names to 28 places and geographical features in Ladakh, reiterating that the Union Territory is an “integral and inalienable” part of the country.
The response from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) came hours after Beijing strongly opposed India's move, claiming that the so-called Union Territory of Ladakh was unilaterally and illegally established by New Delhi.
“It is reiterated that the UT (Union Territory) of Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of denial by the Chinese side can change this established fact,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswalsaid.
Referring to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' October 2 announcement, Jaiswal said the press release was “self-explanatory”.
The 28 places and geographical features have been assigned standard names on the official Survey of India map in consultation with the Union Territory administration and local stakeholders, he said.
“Identifying these places formally on the Survey of India map of UT of Ladakh is aimed at facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public at large,” Jaiswal added.
The locations include key border friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including Gogra and Hot Spring, which have figured in the India-China border standoff.
Reacting to India's announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing “strongly opposes” the move, reiterating that China has never recognised what it described as the “so-called Union Territory of Ladakh”.
“This move by India is illegal and void and does not change the fact that the western sector of the China-India boundary belongs to China,” Mao said.
The exchange comes amid the continuing boundary dispute between the two countries, particularly along the western sector of the LAC in Ladakh. The border tensions escalated in 2020 following the military standoff in eastern Ladakh, which also led to a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley.
India has consistently maintained that Ladakh is an integral part of its territory, while the two sides have engaged in diplomatic and military-level talks to resolve outstanding boundary issues and maintain peace along the border.
(With inputs from PTI)