In reaction to China’s comment that it does not recognize the Union Territory of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that China has no locus standi to comment on India’s internal affairs.
“The Union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir have been, are and will continue to be an integral part of India. China has no locus standi to comment on the internal affairs of India, ”said MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava.
“Arunachal Pradesh is also an integral part of India. This fact has also been clearly conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions, even at the highest level, ”added Srivastava.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday opened up to 44 bridges in the border areas of Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
In reaction to this, Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said that the development of border infrastructure is “the root cause of tension between the two sides.”
“First, I want to make it clear that China does not recognize the Ladakh Union Territory illegally established by the Indian side and Arunachal Pradesh. We oppose the development of infrastructure facilities for military containment along the border area, ”the Chinese spokesman said.
Speaking on infrastructure development, Srivastava said the government is focused on creating infrastructure to improve people’s livelihoods and economic well-being. “The government pays particular attention to the development of border areas for economic development and to meet the strategic and security requirements of India,” Srivastava said.
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