New Delhi:
In a move that has reignited tensions between two of Asia’s largest nations, China has established two new counties in its Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with parts of these territories falling within the Indian Union Territory of Ladakh. This development has sparked a strong diplomatic protest from India, which has long contested Chinese claims over the region.
The creation of He’an County and Hekang County, announced by Chinese state media on December 27, 2024, has been met with fierce opposition from New Delhi. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has condemned the move, labeling it an “illegal Chinese occupation” of Indian territory.
Main Body
China’s decision to set up these new counties, administered by Hotan Prefecture, was approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council. The county seats are located in Hongliu Township for He’an County and Xeyidula Township for Hekang County. However, India asserts that parts of these counties encroach upon the Union Territory of Ladakh, a claim that India has consistently maintained as its sovereign territory.
India’s MEA has lodged a formal protest through diplomatic channels, emphasizing that the creation of these counties does not alter India’s long-standing position on its sovereignty over the area. “We have never accepted the illegal Chinese occupation of Indian territory in this area,” stated MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. He added that the establishment of these counties will neither change India’s stance nor lend legitimacy to China’s claims.
This dispute is part of the broader and complex Sino-Indian border tensions that have been ongoing since a military standoff began in eastern Ladakh in April 2020. The standoff, which included a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley, marked the first fatalities on the India-China border since 1975 and significantly strained relations between the two countries. Despite recent efforts to resolve the border issues, including an agreement to disengage troops from the remaining friction points of Depsang and Demchok in October 2024, the latest move by China has once again heightened tensions.
In addition to the territorial dispute, India has also expressed concerns over a Chinese hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, known as the Brahmaputra River in India. As a lower riparian state, India has consistently urged China for transparency and consultation with downstream countries to ensure that the interests of these states are not harmed by upstream activities.
