On Tuesday, China strongly objected to India's decision to assign standardised names to 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh, claiming that the areas belonged to it.
"China has never recognised the so-called ‘Union Territory of Ladakh’ unilaterally and illegally established by India," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing in Beijing.
"Beijing firmly opposes India's announcement of so-called standard names,"she said.
Ms. Mao was responding to a question on India's Ministry of Home Affairs announcing standardised names for 28 places and geographical features in Ladakh.
"The move is illegal and invalid and cannot change the fact that the relevant areas in the western sector of the China-India boundary have always belonged to China," she said.
On October 2, India formally identified 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh, including key border friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) such as Gogra and Hot Spring, on the official Indian map.
The step, taken by the government in consultation with the Ladakh administration, aims at streamlining official cartography, facilitating precise identification, and fostering better public awareness of the sensitive border region.
Gogra and Hot Spring are among the major strategic locations and were friction points during the 2020 standoff between Indian and Chinese forces. The locations are crucial for Indian patrolling along the LAC.
The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Pangong Lake area. Both sides began the disengagement process in 2022.
The other locations identified by India include Alisha Giri, a high-altitude peak; Brangsa; Chapchingal Pass; Kanishka Peak; Karun Pir mountain; Kuksel; Martand Giri; Parpik glacier; Skamri Glacier; Shachmirik Pass; Shkorga Valley; Zorawar Peak; Dehra Compass; and Drak Karpo.
The list also includes Jolmori, Kumarayana Point, Panglung, Rinchen Zangpo, Sakyasri Giri, Guru Rinpoche, Shamal Lungpa (a patrol and staging route in the 1950s), Yangpa River, Marpa Lotsava Ri, Milarepa Kangri, Shiva Ri and Maheshwara Ri.