Ministry of External Affairs said that the Union Territory of Ladakh is an integral part of India and the neighbouring country’s denial would not change facts.  | Photo Credit: ANI

New Delhi, October 13: China has opposed India’s recent move to assign standardised names to strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh, calling it “illegal and void”, in a fresh diplomatic flare-up that comes amid efforts to smoothen bilateral economic and strategic ties. 

In a sharp rebuttal to Beijing’s assertions made on Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs said that the Union Territory of Ladakh is an integral part of India and the neighbouring country’s denial would not change facts. 

Earlier in the day, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, while answering a question at a press briefing, alleged that India had illegally established the Union Territory of Ladakh.

“China has never recognised the so-called ‘Union Territory of Ladakh’ unilaterally and illegally established by India, and firmly opposes the so-called ‘standardised names’ publicised by India. This move by India is illegal and void and does not change the fact that the western sector of the China-India boundary belongs to China,” she said.

The remarks underline the continuing divergence between the two countries over their disputed boundary, even as New Delhi and Beijing have taken steps over the past year to ease military tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following the deadly clashes in the Galwan Valley in June 2020.

“It is reiterated that the UT of Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of denial by the Chinese side can change this established fact,” the MEA said in its statement responding to queries from journalists on the Chinese Foreign Ministry comment.

The Ministry of Home Affairs announced on October 2 that 28 places and geographical features in Ladakh had been assigned standardised names for inclusion on the official map of the Survey of India. The exercise was undertaken in consultation with the Ladakh administration and local stakeholders.

The latest exchange highlights the continuing divergence between the two countries over their disputed boundary, despite steps taken to ease military tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following the deadly clashes in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. New Delhi has consistently maintained that peace and tranquillity along the border are essential for the normalisation of bilateral relations.

At their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Chinese President Xi Jinping that peace and tranquillity in the border areas remained an essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations. He also stressed the need to observe existing agreements and understandings on border-related issues.

The border dispute remains a thorny factor in efforts to deepen economic ties. China wants India to ease certain investment restrictions on Chinese companies, while New Delhi is seeking assured supplies of rare earth materials, some fertilisers and other critical industrial inputs, alongside greater transparency and liberalisation in visa issuance.

“While both sides would gain from greater economic cooperation, India is clear that it is imperative that border tensions should de-escalate before significant decisions on trade and investment can be taken,” a source told businessline.

Published on October 13, 2026