Construction on 'own territory' normal, says China on report of building village in Arunachal
Beijing: China's construction activities on "its own territory" is "normal" and is entirely a matter of sovereignty, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said here on Thursday, reacting to a report about China building a new village in Arunachal Pradesh.
"China's position on the east sector of the China-India boundary, or Zangnan region (the southern part of China's Tibet), is consistent and clear. We have never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established on the Chinese territory," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing while responding to a question.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet, while India's consistent stand has been that the northeastern state is an integral and inalienable part of the country.
"China's normal construction on its own territory is entirely a matter of sovereignty," Hua was quoted as saying by the Chinese foreign ministry on its website in an updated statement.
In a report, NDTV news channel showed two images of the area in Arunachal Pradesh where it said a new village has been set up by China and it consisted of about 101 homes. According to the channel, the first image dated August 26, 2019 did not show any human habitation but the second one of November 2020 shows a row of structures.
In a cautious reaction to the report, India on Monday said it keeps a constant watch on all developments having a bearing on the country's security, and takes necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said India has stepped up the construction of border infrastructure, including roads and bridges for the improvement of livelihood of its citizens.
"Government keeps a constant watch on all developments having a bearing on India's security and takes all the necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity," it said.
The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The report about China setting up a new village in Arunachal Pradesh comes amid a military standoff in eastern Ladakh for over eight months.
India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks to resolve the face-off in eastern Ladakh, but no significant headway has been made so far.
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Trump says heavy bombing of Iran will continue ‘as long as necessary’
Washington/Tehran: US President Donald Trump has said that heavy bombing of Iran will continue “as long as necessary,” even as Iranian media insist that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains alive and in command.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump referred to the alleged killing of Khamenei and called on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and police to join what he described as “Iranian patriots” in changing the government.
He said “that process should soon be starting” and claimed that Iran had been “very much destroyed and even, obliterated” in just one day.
“The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!” he added.
However, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim and Mehr news agencies have reported that Khamenei is “steadfast and firm in commanding the field,” rejecting claims about his death.
