Treat it objectively, don't overinterpret it: China on showing Arunachal Pradesh in its new map

It is hoped that relevant parties will treat it objectively and not over-interpret it, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, two days after releasing a map that showed Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as part of its territory.

“The release of the 2023 edition of the standard map of China is the country’s normal exercise of sovereignty in accordance with the law,” said the spokesperson, reported China's state daily, Global Times.

“It’s hoped that relevant parties will treat it objectively and not over-interpret it,” he further added.


India on Tuesday had lodged a strong protest with China over its release of the so-called "standard map.”

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had stated that it is an "old habit" of China to stake claim on territories that do not belong to them.

"China has put out maps with territories (that are) not theirs. (It is an) old habit. Just by putting out maps with parts of India... this doesn't change in anything."

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said India rejects these claims as they have no basis and that such steps by the Chinese side only "complicate" the resolution of the boundary question.

The new map also incorporates China's claims over the nine-dash line thus laying claim to a large part of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei have all claims over the South China Sea areas.

This is not the first time that Beijing has employed such tactics.

In April this year, China had unilaterally “renamed” as many as 11 Indian locations, which included names of mountain peaks, rivers and residential areas.

Previously in 2017 and 2021, China's Civil Affair Ministry had renamed other Indian locations triggering another political confrontation. New Delhi called out China's expansionist plans then.

The map was released by China's Ministry of Natural Resources during the celebration of Surveying and Mapping Publicity Day and the National Mapping Awareness Publicity Week on Monday in Deqing county, Zhejiang province.