India rejects China's 'standard' map showing Arunachal as its part

Amidst escalating tensions, India has rejected China's newly issued "2023 standard map," which asserts territorial claims over parts of India. The Indian government has lodged a robust protest through diplomatic channels, emphasizing the lack of basis for these claims.

The Official Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, conveyed India's response to the media, stating, "We have today lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so-called 2023 'standard map' of China that lays claim to India's territory. We reject these claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question."

China's recently unveiled map incorporates disputed regions including Arunachal Pradesh, the Aksai Chin area, Taiwan, and segments of the South China Sea. 

The 2023 edition of China's standard map was officially released on August 28 and featured on the Ministry of Natural Resources' standard map service website, as reported by the state-run Global Times on X, formerly Twitter. The map claims to be a compilation of national boundaries based on China's perspective, depicting the world's countries.