The tug-of-war between India and China over Arunachal Pradesh took a recent flip immediately after Union Sports activities Minister Anurag Thakur cancelled his scheduled go to to Hangzhou for the Asian Video games, to protest in opposition to the hosts’ denial of visa to 3 athletes from Arunachal Pradesh.
Describing the Chinese language motion as focusing on of the sportspersons in a “pre-meditated” method, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi mentioned the transfer violates each the spirit of the Asian Video games and the principles governing their conduct as they “explicitly prohibits discrimination” in opposition to rivals from member states.
When requested in regards to the matter at a international ministry briefing in Beijing, spokesperson Mao Ning mentioned China welcomes athletes from all international locations to the Asian Video games utilizing “authorized identification”. “The Chinese language authorities has by no means acknowledged so-called “Arunachal”. The world of Zangnan is Chinese language territory,” she mentioned, in accordance with the international ministry press launch.
Bagchi mentioned a “sturdy protest” has been lodged in opposition to China’s “deliberate and selective obstruction” of a few of India’s sportspersons.
“In keeping with our long-standing and constant place, India firmly rejects differential therapy of Indian residents on the idea of domicile or ethnicity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and can at all times stay an integral and inalienable a part of India,” he mentioned.
Bagchi mentioned India reserves the precise to take “appropriate measures to safeguard our pursuits”.
The visa denial row is the most recent within the collection of long-standing variations between India and China over Arunachal Pradesh. Final month, China had launched the 2023 version of its “normal map”, which confirmed Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh as South and South-East Asian territories marked inside Chinese language borders. India had lodged a powerful protest in opposition to it.
Earlier this 12 months, India had rejected China’s objections to Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah’s go to to Arunachal Pradesh, saying the state is an integral and inalienable a part of India. China had strongly opposed Shah’s go to, saying his actions within the space was violating Beijing’s territorial sovereignty.
