'We Don't Take It Seriously': CM Pema Khandu Brushes Aside China's Claims On Arunachal Pradesh
'We Don't Take It Seriously': CM Pema Khandu Brushes Aside China's Claims On Arunachal Pradesh Published By, Last Updated: June 05, 2026, 09:33 IST He
'We Don't Take It Seriously': CM Pema Khandu Brushes Aside China's Claims On Arunachal Pradesh Published By, Last Updated: June 05, 2026, 09:33 IST He also rejected the notion that Arunachal Pradesh shares a border with China, asserting instead that the state borders Tibet. Rapid Read Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu. (File Photo) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday dismissed China’s recurring territorial claims over the northeastern state, saying such assertions hold little significance for the people of Arunachal Pradesh and are not taken seriously. Speaking during a visit to Shillong, Khandu described Beijing’s claims and repeated renaming of places in the state as a familiar pattern. “This is not a new thing for us, and we don’t give a damn about these kinds of claims. We don’t take it seriously," ANI news agency cited Khandu as saying.
He also rejected the notion that Arunachal Pradesh shares a border with China, asserting instead that the state borders Tibet. “It is very secure, and we do not share a border with China; we share a border with Tibet, Arunachal Pradesh shares a border with Tibet only," Khandu said, according to ANI. Addressing concerns over border infrastructure and security, the chief minister said comparisons with the situation during the 1962 war are misplaced. According to him, present-day realities differ substantially from those of that period. “…Comparing the infrastructure of 1962–or that era–with the present day is quite misleading. This is 2026–the era of ‘New India’ and a ‘Developed India’ (Viksit Bharat)," Khandu added. He pointed to what he described as significant improvements in infrastructure across India’s frontier regions, stretching from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. Khandu credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “massive push to infrastructure development" for making border areas “highly accessible", ANI reported.
China has continued its practice of renaming locations in Arunachal Pradesh since the Doklam stand-off in 2017. According to official records, Beijing has assigned new names to 82 cities and geographical features in the state, with the latest list released on April 10, 2026. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has consistently rejected such actions, maintaining that they do not alter facts on the ground. The ministry has previously described China’s efforts as “vain, preposterous, and mischievous". The MEA has repeatedly asserted that Arunachal Pradesh “was, is, and will always remain" an integral and inalienable part of India. Earlier this year, it also warned that such actions could hamper efforts to normalise relations between New Delhi and Beijing. The remarks followed reports that China had created a third new county in the Aksai Chin region and assigned names to 23 locations 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…These actions by the Chinese side detract from ongoing efforts to stabilise and normalise India-China bilateral ties," the MEA stated. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Itanagar, India, India First Published: June 05, 2026, 09:33 IST News india 'We Don't Take It Seriously': CM Pema Khandu Brushes Aside China's Claims On Arunachal Pradesh Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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