India protested China’s claim of parts of Ladakh. The country’s foreign ministry said that Delhi will not accept China’s illegal occupation in any way. The India-China border standoff in Ladakh has started the process of improving relations between the two countries. In the meantime, Beijing-Delhi is involved in new tensions around China’s demands.
The controversy started on December 27. According to Chinese state media, two new provinces have been created in northwest China, Heian Province and Hekang Province. The administration of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region announced the two new provinces.
The Communist Party of China and the State Council are also said to have approved the two new provinces. These two provinces will be administered from the city of Hotan. Some parts of Ladakh also fall between these two provinces claimed by China. Delhi has already sent a diplomatic message to Beijing protesting this move by China.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said that a part of those ‘so-called provinces’ falls within Ladakh. Illegal Chinese occupation of Indian territory will not be tolerated in any way. He said, “The creation of a new province will not affect our sovereignty in that region. Illegal or forced occupation of China will not be legalized either. We have protested this to China at the diplomatic level.”