Beijing’s double claim: Arunachal Pradesh and Taiwan back in China’s crosshairs
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): China is once again raising its old issue regarding India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. China arbitrarily detained an Indian citizen, causing widespread uproar. However, India has responded strongly. This has been China's long-standing practice: attempting to forcibly occupy other people's land and, even if unsuccessful, claiming it as its own. China has been trying something similar with Taiwan.
Let us tell you, Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. Even on the international map, Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, not China. Arunachal Pradesh is located in India's northeast. It borders Bhutan, China, and Myanmar. China's situation is such that it has declared not only Arunachal Pradesh but also the entire Jammu and Kashmir as its part on its map. At the second summit of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Beijing, China had shown Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as part of India.
Some time ago, China completely destroyed approximately 30,000 maps that showed Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir as part of India. Around 2018, the Chinese channel CGTN showed PoK as separate from Pakistan. China is attempting the same with Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its territory and threatens to take it by force. Meanwhile, the Taiwanese government maintains that it is an independent nation and its people will decide what to do.
Amid growing pressure from China, Taiwan has increased its defense budget to enhance its defense capabilities. This is why Taiwan is also purchasing weapons from the United States. In the latest update, Taiwan has announced a defense budget of more than $40 billion amid ongoing tensions with China. Meanwhile, Japan has also deployed new missiles on Yonaguni Island, near Taiwan.
The McMahon Line is considered the international border between China and India, but China refuses to recognize it. China claims that a large part of Tibet belongs to India. China, meanwhile, has illegally occupied a large part of western Aksai Chin.