US condemns China over renaming Arunachal Pradesh

The United States has expressed strong opposition to China's recent decision to change the names of 11 places in India's Arunachal Pradesh. The move by China to rename areas of the Indian territory is being seen as an attempt to assert its claim on the disputed region.

White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated on Tuesday that the US has always stood against any unilateral attempts to further territorial claims. Jean-Pierre also stated that the US strongly opposes China's efforts to claim Arunachal Pradesh, and renaming areas in the region is unacceptable.

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs had changed the names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, announcing the new names in Chinese characters and Tibetan Pinyin languages on April 2. The renamed places include two residential areas, five mountain peaks, two rivers, and two other areas.

India's Ministry of External Affairs also expressed strong opposition to China's move, calling it an attempt to alter the reality of Arunachal Pradesh being an integral and inseparable part of India. China has made similar attempts to rename areas of Arunachal Pradesh in the past.

The ongoing territorial disputes between China and India have been a long-standing issue, with tensions increasing in recent years. The US has been vocal in its support of India in the ongoing border conflict with China, including providing military assistance and supporting India's claim to the territory.