India on Sunday strongly rejected China’s recent attempts to assign what it called “fictitious names” to places in Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh. The response came amid reports that Beijing has created a third new administrative county in the disputed Aksai Chin region and renamed several locations in Arunachal Pradesh. New Delhi said such actions are misleading and could negatively affect the ongoing process of improving ties between the two countries.

The statement was issued by external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, who dismissed China’s actions as deliberate and unhelpful. These developments come at a time when both sides have been trying to stabilise relations after years of tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). India made it clear that such moves by China go against efforts to build mutual understanding and restore normalcy in bilateral ties.

“India categorically rejects any mischievous attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places which form part of the territory of India,” Jaiswal said. “These actions by the Chinese side detract from ongoing efforts to stabilise and normalise India-China bilateral ties. China should refrain from actions which inject negativity into relations and undermine efforts to create better understanding.” His remarks underline India’s concern that such symbolic actions could create fresh friction at a sensitive time.

Jaiswal also addressed the broader intent behind China’s moves. “These actions by the Chinese side, aimed at introducing false claims and manufacturing baseless narratives, cannot alter the undeniable reality that these places and territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, were, are, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.” The statement reflects India’s consistent stand that renaming places does not change facts on the ground.

China’s latest move includes renaming 23 locations in Arunachal Pradesh. According to a notification issued by China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs on April 10, the renamed places include rivers, mountains, and towns. Beijing refers to Arunachal Pradesh as “southern Tibet,” a claim that India has repeatedly rejected. Officials in New Delhi view these naming exercises as part of a pattern aimed at reinforcing China’s territorial claims.

At the same time, reports have emerged that China has established a new county called Cenling in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. This area is strategically important as it lies close to the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, and also near the western sector of the LAC with India. Although Jaiswal did not mention this development directly, officials familiar with the matter indicated that India’s response was linked to both the renaming of locations and the creation of this new county.

Cenling is reportedly the third county China has set up in Xinjiang since December 2024. The earlier two, Hean and Hekang, were also objected to by India. In 2025, New Delhi raised concerns that parts of these counties overlapped with Indian territory in Ladakh. Hean, in particular, includes a large portion of the Aksai Chin plateau, which India considers part of its territory.

The timing of China’s latest actions is significant. Relations between the two countries have been strained since the military standoff along the LAC began in 2020. The situation remained tense for over four years, leading to a sharp decline in diplomatic and military engagement. In recent months, both sides have taken steps to ease tensions and resume dialogue. Talks have been ongoing to address the long-standing boundary dispute and restore stability in the region.

However, India believes that repeated renaming exercises by China undermine these efforts. Similar actions were taken by Beijing in 2017, 2021, 2023, and 2024, often during periods of heightened tension. Indian officials see this as a strategy to strengthen China’s claims by creating an alternative narrative, even though such steps have no impact on the ground situation.

New Delhi has consistently maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and that any attempt to question its status will not be accepted. The government has also emphasised that administrative changes or naming exercises by China do not carry any legal or territorial validity from India’s perspective.

The latest exchange highlights the fragile nature of India-China relations despite ongoing diplomatic engagement. While both countries have expressed a willingness to move forward and reduce tensions, actions like these risk reversing progress. India’s response makes it clear that it expects China to act responsibly and avoid steps that could escalate the situation further.