BEIJING — China has asserted that India has no right to undertake development projects in the region China refers to as South Tibet, responding to reports about New Delhi’s plans to expedite hydropower projects in the contested border state.
“South Tibet is China’s territory,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman stated on Wednesday. “India has no right to carry out development there, and the establishment of what India calls Arunachal Pradesh on Chinese territory is illegal and invalid.”
The dispute centers around the “ten-dash line” map issued by China last year, which includes Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territorial claims. This map prompted a strong protest from India.
India plans to invest $1 billion to accelerate the construction of 12 hydropower stations in the northeastern Himalayan state, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
India’s Foreign Ministry has not yet responded to China’s latest statement.
India maintains that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country, whereas China claims it as part of southern Tibet and has repeatedly objected to Indian infrastructure projects in the area.
Last week, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Kazakhstan, where both agreed to intensify efforts to resolve their border issues.