New Delhi: India has formally objected to China’s announcement of two new counties in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which, according to India, are located in areas that fall under the Union Territory of Ladakh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) raised its concerns through diplomatic channels.
On December 27, Chinese state media Xinhua reported the establishment of He’an County and Hekang County in the Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang, approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that parts of these counties lie in Ladakh, a region India claims as its own. He emphasized that India has not recognized China’s “illegal occupation” of this territory. “The creation of these so-called counties will not affect India’s position on its sovereignty over Ladakh,” Jaiswal stated, reiterating that India has lodged a protest with China over the issue.
The seats for the new counties are reported to be Hongliu Township for He’an and Xeyidula Township for Hekang.
This objection comes amidst ongoing tensions over China’s plans to construct the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, which becomes the Brahmaputra River as it enters India. The dam, located near the Arunachal Pradesh border, has raised serious concerns in both India and Bangladesh due to its potential environmental and geopolitical impacts.
