In message to China, India to rename 30 places in Tibet as bilateral ties hit new snag

India is reportedly planning to rename a number of locations in China’s Tibet region in response to Beijing issuing official Chinese names for several places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, both regions in which the two countries have overlapping territorial claims.

Experts say the renaming plan highlights India’s resolve to counter China’s efforts to assert control over the disputed region, indicating the two countries may be unable to “restore normalcy” in their bilateral relations during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term.

Since 2017, China has renamed 62 locations in Arunachal Pradesh with Chinese and Tibetan names in an apparent bid to assert claims over the northeastern Indian state that it calls “South Tibet” or “Zangnan”.

This claim is based on historical assertions that the region has been part of China since ancient times. The dispute can be traced back to the 1962 Sino-Indian War and is complicated by the lack of a mutually agreed-upon border.

Beijing’s latest name changes, involving 30 places including residential areas, mountains and water bodies, occurred in March this year.

In response, India is reportedly planning to rename around 30 places in China’s Tibet region, according to a report by The Diplomat on June 5.

“Prime Minister Modi has sought to win these polls on the strength of his strongman image. It is natural he will authorise the renaming of Tibetan places to live up to that image,” former Intelligence Bureau officer Benu Ghosh, who has followed China and the border issue with India for decades, was quoted as saying by The Diplomat.

The purported renaming plan comes soon after India’s newly elected coalition government, led by Modi, took office earlier this month.

Saheli Chattaraj, an