China says India naming locations in Ladakh ‘illegal, invalid’

China on Tuesday described as “illegal and invalid” India’s move to give standard names to 28 places and geographical features in the Union Territory of Ladakh, the Global Times reported.

“China has never recognised the so-called Union Territory of Ladakh unilaterally and illegally established by India,” the state-owned media portal quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning as saying.

Responding to this, India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that Ladakh “is an integral and inalienable part of India”.

“No amount of denial by the Chinese side can change this established fact,” said the ministry.

On October 2, India identified 28 places, including several sites in Aksai Chin, on the official Indian map. China occupies the Aksai Chin, which India states is part of its Union Territory of Ladakh.

The list also featured Gogra and Hot Spring, where a violent face-off between Indian and Chinese militaries took place in June 2020. It had led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers. Beijing said that the clash left four of its soldiers dead.

On Tuesday, Mao claimed that India’s move “cannot change the fact that the relevant areas in the western sector of the China-India boundary have always belonged to China”.

New Delhi said that the announcement on October 2 was made in consultation with the Union Territory of Ladakh and...

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