External affairs minister Salman Khurshid said the Chinese action of depicti-ng Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as its own territories is one that India is “not prepared to accept”.
China has been showing both these areas as part of its territory in the new e-passports being issued by it with watermarks of maps. In a tit-for-tat measure, India has responded by issuing visas to Chinese nationals showing both these territories as part of a map of India.
“We are not prepared to accept it,” Mr Khurshid told a new channel, adding, “We, therefore, ensure that our flags of disagreement are put out immediately when something happens. We can do it in an agreeable way or you can do it in a disagreeable way.”
Beijing has responded in a roundabout manner. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson in Beijing was quoted by agencies as saying on Friday that the matter should be dealt with in a “level-headed and rational manner” to avoid “unnecessary disruptions” to people-to-people exchanges. “Hope the countries regard it in a cool-headed manner. Chi-na would like to maintain communication with other counties to ensure convenience of travel for both Chinese and foreigners,” said the spokesperson.