China And Japan Squabble Over Arunachal Pradesh

NEW DELHI: Incensed at Japan’s Finance Minister’s remark over Arunachal Pradesh being a territory of India, China on Monday challenged the claim, demanding a clarification.

Fumio Kishida, the Finance Minister of Japan, during his visit to New Delhi over the weekend, while responding to a question about Japan’s involvement in infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh, said that there was no plan to provide any aid to the state. He said, however, that his government wanted to improve connectivity in the north-east part of India.

“You specifically pointed out the state Arunachal Pradesh in North Eastern India which is a territory of India which is pending in terms of its dispute with China and for the moment to my understanding there are currently no plans of Japan to provide aid to this state,” Kishida said.

Snubbing his remarks, Hong Lei, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said “We are seriously concerned about this and have lodged serious representation with the Japanese side, asking Japan to make clarification and immediately remove negative implications arising (from) this”.

Stating that Kishida’s remarks are contrary to the earlier stand taken by Japan on this issue Hong added “Japan has said explicitly to China that it holds no position and it will not intervene in the disputed area between China and India. Japan has also made public clarifications on this”.

This was in reference to Japan’s stand expressed in November last year that it would not involve itself in infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh when China had sought Tokyo’s reaction to reports that India’s Border Roads Organisation had given ‘strategic’ projects to the Japan International Cooperation Agency along the China border.

Indirectly asking Japan to mind its own business, Hong said both China and India were trying to find a solution to this issue and that Japan should be "prudent in its words and actions".

“China and India are seeking the solution to resolve the boundary question that is fair, reasonable and acceptable to both sides. We hope the Japanese side can understand the sensitiveness of China-India border question and respect China and India’s efforts to resolve dispute through negotiations and be prudent in its words and actions”, he said.

China claims that it owns Arunachal Pradesh as part of what it calls South Tibet. The Indian state remains part of the decades-long Sino-India border dispute.

Claiming the ownership of the state, Hong said that Arunachal Pradesh includes "three areas in Tibet Autonomous Region - Monyul, Loyul and Lower Tsayul - currently under India's illegal occupation".

Hong today said, "China's position on the eastern part of China-India boundary is clear and consistent."

The issue is being addressed through talks between Special Representatives from both sides, he said.

"China and India are seeking the solution to resolve the boundary question that is fair, reasonable and acceptable to both sides. We hope the Japanese side can understand the sensitiveness of China-India border question and respect China and India's efforts to resolve dispute through negotiations and be prudent in its words and actions," Hong said.