India Responds to China, Says Ladakh Is an Integral and Inalienable Part of the Country

India on Tuesday reiterated that Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India after China objected to New Delhi’s decision to standardise the names of 28 locations in the Union Territory for official mapping. The move forms part of India’s efforts to improve geographical identification and public awareness of the strategically sensitive border region.

India officially designated 28 locations and geographical features in Ladakh on October 2. The list includes key border friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), such as Gogra and Hot Spring, which were important areas during the 2020 military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops.

The government said the initiative was undertaken in consultation with the Ladakh administration to improve public awareness of the sensitive border region, streamline official cartography and ensure accurate identification of geographical features.

“Identifying these places formally on the Survey of India map of UT of Ladakh is aimed at facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness among the public at large,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Other locations included in the list are Alisha Giri, Brangsa, Chapchingal Pass, Kanishka Peak, Karun Pir mountain, Kuksel, Martand Giri, Parpik glacier, Skamri glacier, Shachmirik Pass, Shkorga Valley, Zorawar Peak, Dehra Compass and Drak Karpo.

The list also includes Jolmori, Kumarayana Point, Panglung, Rinchen Zangpo, Sakyasri Giri, Guru Rinpoche, Shamal Lungpa, Yangpa River, Marpa Lotsava Ri, Milarepa Kangri, Shiva Ri and Maheshwara Ri. Shamal Lungpa has been described as a patrol and staging route used in the 1950s.

Reacting to India’s move, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, as quoted by The Global Times on Tuesday, said Beijing did not recognise the Union Territory of Ladakh and opposed India’s standardisation of place names. She described the move as illegal and maintained China’s claim over areas in the western sector of the China-India boundary.

India’s decision to add the locations to the Survey of India’s official map comes amid continuing differences over the border. In June 2020, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers, according to official accounts.

Following multiple rounds of military negotiations and a prolonged standoff, both countries began disengaging troops from several friction points. However, New Delhi and Beijing have continued to accuse each other of attempting to alter the status quo along their approximately 3,500-kilometre LAC.