Insecure China in a Flap About PM Modi's Arunachal Pradesh Visit and Inauguration of Sela Tunnel

Beijing: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday. The Sela Tunnel connects Tawang, which shares a boundary with Tibet and Bhutan, to the rest of Arunachal and Assam's Tezpur, will ensure shorter travel time for Indian Army vehicles. The Rs 825-crore Sela Tunnel provides connectivity to various locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The tunnel is the longest bi-lane road tunnel in the world at a high altitude.

China on PM Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh

China reacted after PM Modi’s Arunachal Pradesh visit. On Monday, Beijing lodged a ‘diplomatic protest’ with India, while staking a claim over the area in the northeast Indian state. China addresses Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet, renaming the region as ‘Zangnan’. India has rejected such claims by China over Arunachal Pradesh and its “invented” name to the area.

About PM Modi’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh on March 9, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a press conference that “The area of Zangnan is Chinese territory”.

"China never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally set up by India and firmly opposes it," he said, adding that the China-India boundary question has “yet to be solved”. 

“India has no right to arbitrarily develop the area of Zangnan in China,” added Wenbin. “India’s relevant moves will only complicate the boundary question and disrupt the situation in the border areas between the two countries. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the Indian leader’s visit to the East Section of the China-India boundary. We have made solemn representations to India," Wang added.

With inputs from PTI.