New Delhi: Seen by many as an act of retaliation by China to India’s provocative move in which it allowed exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to visit the disputed region of Arunachal Pradesh earlier this month (4th April), it has unilaterally renamed six places in Arunachal Pradesh here on Wednesday.
Changing the names was a “legitimate” action done in line with Chinese law, Chinese foreign minister was quoted saying by the media here on Wednesday, fortifying Beijing’s territorial claim.
The civil affairs ministry had “standardised in Chinese characters, Tibetan and Roman alphabet the names of six places in South Tibet, which India calls ‘Arunachal Pradesh’, in accordance with the regulations of the State Council”, reads a quote from the report published in state run Global Times print, here on Tuesday.
Furthermore, the media reports indicated that “The official names of the six places using the Roman alphabet are Wo’gyainling, Mila Ri, Qoidêngarbo Ri, Mainquka, Bümo La and Namkapub Ri.” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson defended the move on Wednesday: “It is actually carried out in accordance with our regulations about the names of localities and is a legitimate action by the government.”