Washington: In a significant declaration, the Joe Biden administration has reiterated its support for India by recognizing Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory. The United States has strongly condemned any unilateral attempts by China to assert its territorial claims.
The statement from the US government came in response to recent remarks from the Chinese military reaffirming China’s claim over Arunachal Pradesh, particularly following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the region.
Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson of the State Department, emphasized during a press briefing that the US firmly recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as part of India. Patel also denounced any efforts by China to intrude upon or encroach upon Indian territory along the Line of Actual Control.
This development follows comments made by Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang of the Chinese defense ministry, who asserted that the southern part of Xizang (Tibet) belongs to China and rejected the legitimacy of Arunachal Pradesh as recognized by India.
China has long contested India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh, referring to it as South Tibet and objecting to visits by Indian leaders to the region. Despite China’s claims, India has consistently maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of its territory.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs also responded firmly to China’s recent statements, describing them as baseless and reaffirming Arunachal Pradesh’s status as an integral part of India.
The tension over Arunachal Pradesh escalated further when Indian Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel on March 9. The tunnel, located at an altitude of 13,000 feet, aims to improve connectivity to the strategically important region of Tawang, facilitating better movement of troops along the frontier.