New Delhi - Arunachal Pradesh, a northeastern state of India, was carved out from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region and officially declared a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar serves as both its capital and largest town. Arunachal Pradesh shares international borders with Bhutan to the west, Myanmar to the east, and a disputed 1,129 km border with China's Tibet Autonomous Region in the north along the McMahon Line.

While China lays claim to Arunachal Pradesh as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, India maintains its stance considering it an integral and inalienable part of its territory. Recently, the United States acknowledged the McMahon Line as the international boundary between Arunachal Pradesh and China, reinforcing Arunachal Pradesh's status as Indian territory. Following the US State Department's affirmation of Arunachal Pradesh's Indian identity, China promptly objected, asserting that the matter has no relevance to the US.

In response to China's objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, a spokesperson for the US State Department reiterated the US's recognition of Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory. The spokesperson condemned any unilateral attempts to assert territorial claims across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), whether military or civilian.

China, however, rebuked this statement, underscoring that its border with India remains undepicted. A Chinese government spokesperson emphasized that Zangnan is an indisputable part of China's territory, insisting that the China-India boundary issue is bilateral and unrelated to the US.

In light of India's rejection of China's claims on Arunachal Pradesh, terming them absurd and baseless, tensions persist. This disagreement intensified when a Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson asserted Zangnan's status as Chinese territory, rejecting India's establishment of Arunachal Pradesh.

Despite China's objection, India stands firm, asserting its sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh. Meanwhile, China maintains its position that the boundary issue with India remains bilateral, with no involvement of the United States.