'Relations will be affected', China creates new county in Aksai Chin, India furious.

News Topical, Digital Desk : India has reacted sharply to China's establishment of a new administrative county (district) in Aksai Chin. India says the region is its sovereign territory and such efforts could hamper efforts to normalize bilateral relations. India has previously protested the creation of two other counties.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, " India categorically rejects any mischievous attempt by the Chinese side to ascribe fictitious names to places within Indian territory. Such attempts by China to make false claims and fabricate narratives cannot alter the undeniable fact that these places and territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, were, are and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. "

'China should avoid such activities'

He said that these actions by China undermine ongoing efforts to stabilize and normalize India-China bilateral relations. China should refrain from such actions that bring negativity to relations and undermine efforts to build better understanding.

While responding to a media query, Jaiswal did not explicitly name the areas, but it is learnt that his remarks were in response to the formation of a new county by China.

The third county is also close to the LAC

China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region announced the creation of Sanling County on March 26. This is a strategic area located near occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Afghanistan. It is also close to the western sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India.

Sanling, located near the Karakoram mountain range, is the third new county created by China in Xinjiang. Xinjiang is predominantly inhabited by Uighur Muslims. Last year, India also protested to China over the creation of Hein and Hekang counties.

India has argued that some areas of these counties fall within the boundaries of its Union Territory of Ladakh. Hein County includes a large part of the Aksai Chin plateau, a region of Ladakh occupied by China in the 1962 war and a key issue in the India-China border dispute.

India has previously raised objections with China over the renaming of some places in Arunachal Pradesh. Such objections were lodged in May last year and in April 2024.

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