Pangong lake, Aksai Chin
New Delhi: India today lodged a “strong protest” through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so-called 2023 “standard map” of China that lays claim to India’s territory.
The official spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, in response to media queries on the Chinese map, said: “We reject these claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question.”
India’s response came after China yesterday officially released the 2023 edition of its “standard map” where Arunachal Pradesh, the Aksai Chin region, Taiwan, and the disputed South China Sea were all included within the Chinese territory.
The development came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi-Jinping called for a “resolution” of the long-standing border issues between the two nations on the sidelines of the 15th edition of the BRICS Summit in South Africa.
The two leaders had agreed to intensify efforts at expeditious “disengagement and de-escalation” to restore normal relationships between the two countries.
On August 23, 2023, the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of Chinese Embassy in India Ma Jia, published an article entitled “How China and India can together put into action the vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’” in the Indian publication ABP Live, where she wrote: “Being the world’s largest developing countries, China and India are close partners in safeguarding the rights and interests of the Global South and promoting South-South cooperation. We need to work together to put into action our vision of “a community with a shared future for mankind” and “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”(the world is one family).”
In her article, she further stated: “China stands ready to strengthen unity with India and other BRICS nations to foster a more comprehensive, close, practical and inclusive high-quality partnership, and make greater contributions to the peace and common development of the world.”
– global bihari bureau
