India names 27 places in Arunachal Pradesh; China calls move 'self-deception'
India has formally identified 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh by their standard names on the official map, a move that China has sharply criticised as a unilateral act that could undermine the recent improvement in bilateral ties. The naming, which includes land, passes, a lake and a monument, was announced on Friday (August 7, 2026), in response to what New Delhi describes as frequent attempts by China to rename places in the border state.
China's state-run Global Times newspaper, in a report on Sunday (August 9, 2026), described India's action as “self-deception which runs counter to the improving momentum in bilateral relations and could complicate efforts to properly handle border issues.” The report quoted Qian Feng, director of the Research Department at Tsinghua University’s National Strategy Institute, as saying that any unilateral action by India that escalates the border situation “shows no point and will not serve the broader interests of bilateral relations.”
The Global Times also said that China has been carrying out standardisation of geographical names in the region for a long time. Since 2017, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs has released six batches of standardized names for locations, with a total of 112 names announced as of April 2026. These names cover villages, mountain passes, rivers and peaks, accompanied by standardized Chinese and Tibetan names as well as geographic coordinates.
Quoting Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun, the report added that China does not recognise Arunachal Pradesh. It further quoted Guo as saying, “China-India relations are generally stable at the moment. China’s commitment to improving and growing China-India relations has not changed. We hope the two sides will work in the same direction and act more in ways conducive to bilateral relations.”
Guo Xuetang, a professor at the Centre for South Asia and Indian Ocean Studies under Shanghai International Studies University, was quoted as saying that India’s latest naming of 27 locations is “a unilateral administrative move and does not alter the legal status of the area.” He said the move is an attempt to strengthen India’s claim of control over the area and create additional leverage in future boundary negotiations. However, he added, such actions have no practical meaning and will only undermine the atmosphere for negotiations between the two countries.
According to the Global Times, Guo Xuetang further said that the only way to resolve the China-India boundary issue is through equal negotiations and a fair settlement based on historical and legal principles, and that unilateral actions that create tensions or change the status quo will only harm mutual trust and border stability.
The boundary dispute between India and China dates back decades. India considers Arunachal Pradesh an integral part of the country, while China claims the region as Zangnan (South Tibet). The two sides have held multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks to ease tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following clashes in 2020. The latest naming exercise is expected to draw further scrutiny as both countries look to stabilise relations.
In response to the report, Indian officials have not yet issued a formal statement. However, government sources earlier indicated that the naming of the 27 places was a follow-up to India’s long-standing position on the territorial integrity of Arunachal Pradesh.
