China irked by new German envoy's remarks on Arunachal Pradesh
Aug 31, 2022
New Delhi [India], August 31 : China on Tuesday voiced displeasure over remarks made by German envoy to India Philipp Ackermann on Arunachal Pradesh where he dismissed Beijing's claims on the Indian state.
Chinese embassy spokesperson in New Delhi Wang Xiaojian said the boundary question between China and India is a historical "burden" left by colonists. Wang said boundary questions should be handled by China and India bilaterally and there's no space for any third party to intervene.
"Felt regretted about the comments by a German diplomat in India on Aug 30. The boundary question btw China and India is a historical burden left by colonists. The irresponsible remarks went too far," the Chinese spokesperson said on Twitter.
"The boundary question should be handled by China and India bilaterally. This is the consensus of the two sides. There is no space for any third party to intervene, or make unwarranted comments or pick sides," the spokesperson added.
On Tuesday, Ambassador Ackermann held his first press briefing in New Delhi. During the presser, he termed China's claim on the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as 'outrageous '.
"We should not forget that China claims Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of China, which is outrageous. So, I think that the infringement at the border is extremely difficult and should not be accepted," the ambassador said in his first press briefing in New Delhi.
India's engagement with China has remained complex since the April-May 2020 border clash. The two sides have agreed to manage their differences and not allow differences on any issue to become disputes.
Earlier, the Chinese side undertook several attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector, which seriously disturbed the peace and tranquillity along the LAC.
These attempts were invariably met with an appropriate response from Indian Armed Forces. However, the continued unilateral attempts by China to change the status quo have impacted the bilateral relationship since then.
