(TibetanReview.net, Feb20’20) – China has condemned India’s Home Minister Mr Amit Shah’s visit to the northeastern border state of Arunachal Pradesh on Feb 20 to attend its statehood day, contending the territory belonged to it. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a statement that his country was “firmly opposed” to Shah’s trip as it violated Beijing’s “territorial sovereignty and sabotaged political mutual trust,” reported thehindubusinessline.com Feb 20, citing Chinese media reports.
The report said Shah was also to inaugurate various road infrastructure projects on the occasion of the state’s 34th Statehood Day.
China has been consistently protesting against Indian government and State leaders’ – as well as the exile Tibetan leader Dalai Lama’s – visits to the state over the past several years.
The Chinese government had never acknowledged the “so-called state of Arunachal Pradesh” and was firmly opposed to “Amit Shah’s visit to the southern part of China,” the report cited Geng as saying.
Addressing the media on Feb 20 just after Shah’s arrival in the state, Geng has added that India was sabotaging political mutual trust and bilateral agreement by considering the state its own.
He has called on India not to take any action that could further complicate the matter and raise tensions along the border, contending that China was trying to uphold peace and tranquility in the border area.
China had no border issue with India throughout its history until it occupied Tibet at the turn of the second half of the last century. Now calling Arunachal Pradesh part of Southern Tibet, it has so far held 22 rounds of Special Representatives talks with India, with still no solution in sight.
