India rejects 'mischievous attempts' by China to assign 'fictitious' names to places in Arunachal

New Delhi: India on Sunday categorically rejected China renaming some places in Arunachal Pradesh and said such claims and attempts to manufacture baseless narratives cannot alter the "undeniable reality" that they are part of Indian territories.

China should refrain from actions which inject negativity into relations and undermine efforts to create better understanding, it said.

New Delhi's reaction came in response to Beijing announcing Chinese names for several places in Arunachal Pradesh.

"India categorically rejects any mischievous attempts by the Chinese side to assign fictitious names to places which form part of the territory of India," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

"Such attempts by China at introducing false claims and manufacturing baseless narratives cannot alter the undeniable reality that these places and territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, were, are, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India," he said.

Jaiswal said these actions by the Chinese side "detract from ongoing efforts to stabilise and normalise India-China bilateral ties." "China should refrain from actions which inject negativity into relations and undermine efforts to create better understanding," he said.