When China publicly renamed Tibet as Xizang in 2023, it was to tell the world that Tibet is fully under China’s control. Then how does one interpret Arunachal Pradesh being renamed Zangnan when it remains firmly under India’s control?
This is basically a signal of China’s intent, that it will fully control Arunachal Pradesh at an appropriate time, said Tenzin Dhamdul, researcher at the Foundation for Non-Violent Alternatives in New Delhi.
Dhamdul was a guest on The Gist, and in his view, “They are not just renaming the territory, they are claiming it as their own … they don’t have officials on the ground but they have district maps, official maps and you will find them everywhere.”
The first target of these claims is their own people, says Dhamdul. They want to hammer home to their people that this is China’s land, China’s territory, and as and when the time comes when they make a push for it, they will have the full backing of their people.
It also lays the ground for selling this claim overseas. Allies like Pakistan will accept it, perhaps even countries or even some other neighbours that are dependent on Beijing. Increasingly, the internet and social media will be flooded with these maps and claims, with the intention of sensitising the world about it.
“If you see locations district wise that China is targeting, you can clearly find Tawang is number one. They have targeted total 12 locations (in Arunachal), and the important districts where Itanagar the capital is located, the other being the Dibang valley and West Siang district.”
India has opened the Dibang Valley for adventure tourism and West Siang is where a major hydroelectric project is planned. So does China renaming these places have to do with India’s own activities there?
Another case in point could be Tawang, where an international conference was recently held to mark the legacy of the sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso. China’s state-owned media fumed over the conference since it underscored that Buddhism belongs to Tibet and China cannot own it.
Tune in for more in this conversation with Tenzin Dhamdul of the Foundation for Non-Violent Alternatives.
Thirty eight years in journalism, widely travelled, history buff with a preference for Old Monk Rum. Current interest/focus spans China, Technology and Trade. Recent reads: Steven Colls Directorate S and Alexander Frater's Chasing the Monsoon. Netflix/Prime video junkie. Loves animal videos on Facebook. Reluctant tweeter.
