China has asserted that India has no right to carry out development in the contested border region that it refers to as South Tibet.
The statement came from China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, responding to a Reuters report about New Delhi's plans to expedite hydropower projects in the northeastern border state.
"South Tibet is China’s territory," declared a spokesperson for the foreign ministry in a statement. The spokesperson further stated that India’s establishment of Arunachal Pradesh on Chinese territory is "illegal and invalid."
According to Reuters, India intends to invest $1 billion to fast-track the construction of 12 hydropower stations in Arunachal Pradesh. India's Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on China's statement.
The northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh has long been a contentious issue between the two neighbouring giants. India asserts that the remote state is an integral part of its territory. However, China claims it as part of southern Tibet and has consistently objected to Indian infrastructure projects in the area.
Last week, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Kazakhstan. The two diplomats agreed to intensify efforts to resolve ongoing issues along their disputed border.
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