Gov't Hits Back At China Def Min Claims On Himalayan Territory

(MNI) London - A spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal has hit back at comments from the Chinese Defence Ministry regarding the state of Arunachal Pradesh in the Himalayas. "We have noted the comments made by the Spokesperson of the Chinese Defence Ministry advancing absurd claims over the territory of the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. Repeating baseless arguments in this regard does not lend such claims any validity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be an intergral and inalienable part of India..."

• Tensions between New Delhi and Beijing have ticked up in recent days amid a visit to the contested border state by Indian PM Narendra Modi. The visit comes as part of a whistle-stop tour of Indian states by the PM ahead of a general election expected in the spring. While there Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel, an INR8.25bn (GBP77mn) project that The Independent reports, "is anticipated to facilitate the Indian army in enhancing defence measures along the contentious border known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC)."
• Following Modi's visit, Chinese Ministry of Defence spox Zhang Xiaogang claimed that, "the southern part of Xizang is an inherent part of China's territory, stressing that China "never acknowledges and firmly opposes" the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India.."
• Tensions have flared up from time to time along the border where tens of thousands of troops are believe to be deployed, but without small arms, sometimes resulting in melee skirmishes in the mountain passes.