LOC11:08
08:08 GMT
NEW DELHI, March 12 (KUNA) -- India on Tuesday rejected Chinese objection over the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the border state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Responding to media queries over China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's comments objecting to Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, official Spokesperson of Indian Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi rejects such comments and that will not change the reality.
"We reject the comments made by the Chinese side regarding the visit of the Prime Minister to Arunachal Pradesh. Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time, as they visit other States of India," he said.
The Indian spokesman stated that objecting to such visits or developmental projects of India in Arunachal Pradesh does not stand to reason.
"Further, it will not change the reality that the state of Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Chinese side has been made aware of this consistent position on several occasions," Jaiswal added.
Modi visited capital of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar, on Sunday and launched several developmental projects including strategic Sela Tunnel project connecting Tezpur in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson criticized Modi's visit saying: "China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the Indian leader's visit to the East Section of the China-India boundary. We have made solemn representations to India."
The Chinese official also stated that the area of Zangnan is Chinese territory and Arunachal Pradesh illegally set up by India was never recognized by Chinese government. "India has no right to arbitrarily develop the area of Zangnan in China," he said, adding these moves will complicate the boundary question and disrupt the situation in the border areas.
India and China are engaged in long standing territorial disputes over vast areas spanning across Indian states of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. Bloody clashes often erupt between the border forces of both countries claiming violation of borders. (end)
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