China Objects to India’s Naming of 28 Ladakh Locations

China has strongly objected to India’s decision to standardise the names of 28 geographical locations in Ladakh on official maps, describing the move as illegal and invalid.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday that China had never recognised what it described as India’s unilateral establishment of the Union Territory of Ladakh. She maintained that India’s decision to standardise geographical names could not change what Beijing considers the established facts concerning the China-India border in the western sector.

China claims sovereignty over the disputed areas, including parts of the region along the India-China frontier.

According to reports, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs decided to standardise the names of 28 geographical locations and features for inclusion on official maps issued by the Survey of India. The locations reportedly include sensitive areas such as Gogra and Hot Springs, as well as certain places in Aksai Chin.

China and India have long been engaged in a territorial dispute over sections of their Himalayan border, including Ladakh and Aksai Chin. The latest disagreement over geographical names and official maps highlights the continuing differences between Beijing and New Delhi over sovereignty and territorial claims in the western sector.