China lodges strong protest over India's naming of places in Ladakh

After India decided to assign standard names to 28 locations in Ladakh and place them on its official map, China has lodged a strong protest, calling the move illegal and invalid.

Responding to a question on the matter on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said India's move would not change China's claim over the territory. According to her, the relevant territory in the western sector of the China-India border has always belonged to China.

She also made clear that China has never recognized the union territory of Ladakh unilaterally formed by India. According to the Chinese side, the names announced by India's home ministry include disputed border areas and some places under China's actual control.

The list of names made public by India on October 2 includes sensitive areas such as Galwan and Hot Springs, where tensions between the two countries' armies had risen in 2020.

Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded that Ladakh is an integral and inseparable part of India and that China's denial does not change this fact. He said the names were decided in consultation with the Ladakh administration and local residents, aimed at ensuring correct identification of these places on official maps.