Arunachal Pradesh integral and inalienable part of India: Government

NEW DELHI: Government today asserted that Arunachal Pradesh was an integral and inalienable part of India which has been "clearly" conveyed to China on several occasions.

Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said both the countries agreed that peace and tranquility on the border is the basis for continued expansion of India-China relations.

"China disputes the international boundary between India and China. In the Eastern Sector, China claims approximately 90,000 square kilometres of Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh.

"It is reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. This has been clearly conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions, including at the highest level," Singh said.

He said the two sides are committed to resolving bilateral issues through dialogue and peaceful negotiations and mutually acceptable manner.

Asked whether government has taken up with Beijing the issue of intrusions by Chinese troops in Eastern Ladakh recently, Singh said there was no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the border between the two countries and that government regularly takes up with China incidents of transgression through established mechanisms.

"From time to time, on account of differences in the perception of the LAC, situations have arisen on the ground that could have been avoided if we had a common perception of the LAC," he said.

Replying to a separate question on whether China has asked India to link its Silk Road with India's Spice Route and Mausam Projects, Singh said there was no formal proposal to link the two Indian projects with connectivity projects of other countries.