Union Minister Kiren Rijiju responded to various claims of Chinese encroachment in the state of Arunachal Pradesh and has dismissed them. The Parliamentary Affairs minister stated that while overlapping of Indian and Chinese forces can take place in un-demarcated lands, China is not allowed to construct anything permanent.
The Union Minister, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, further stated that merely painting marks in un-demarcated lands does not mean China has encroached upon Indian territory.
"China can't take our land. Overlapping of patrolling does take place in the un-demarcated areas. They are not allowed to construct anything permanent. There is strict vigil from our side. Mere painting of marks in un-demarcated locations doesn't mean the areas have been encroached on," the minister told news agency PTI.
He added that India will "not allow anyone to come near the Line of Actual Control".
What Are China's Territorial Claims?
India shares a 3,400km Line of Actual Control with China. This border goes from the union territory of Ladakh all the way to Arunachal Pradesh. For years, India and China have been locked in a border-dispute over the regions of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin area.
However, since the face-off at the LAC in 2020, the tensions between the countries have escalated. China continues to claimed that the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory but has been occupied by India.
Meanwhile, claims have also been made for the Aksai Chin region near Ladakh. As per India, the Aksai Chin region is an Indian territory and was once a part of the state of Ladakh. However, Chinese forces continue to occupy it.
The tensions between Delhi and Beijing escalated again after China released a revised map which marked Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin area as part of Chinese territory.
Other disputed areas such as Taiwan and the South China Sea were also marked as Chinese territory.
New Delhi has repeatedly refuted China's claims and stated that Arunachal Pradesh "was, is and will always be" an integral part of India.
