China Releases New Edition Of Standard Map, Claims Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin As Part Of Its Territory

Beijing: China on Monday officially released the 2023 edition of its "standard map" incorporating the disputed areas including its claims over Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin region, Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea. India has repeatedly said that the state of Arunachal Pradesh has "always been" and will "always be" an integral part of the country.

"The 2023 edition of China's standard map was officially released on Monday and launched on the website of the standard map service hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources," state-run Global Times said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"This map is compiled based on the drawing method of the national boundaries of China and various countries in the world,: the post said. The map also displayed by the Global Times showed Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as South Tibet, and Aksai Chin occupied by it in the 1962 war.

India has repeatedly told China that "Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India." The map also incorporated China's claims over the estranged island of Taiwan and the nine-dash line claiming a large part of the South China Sea.

China claims Taiwan as part of its mainland and its integration with the mainland is part of a vowed objective of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the South China Sea areas.