China opposes India naming 28 strategic locations in Ladakh

India has standardised names for 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh. China says the move is invalid, underscoring the enduring boundary dispute in the western sector.

In Short

• Home Ministry standardised names after consulting Ladakh administration for official cartography
• The list includes Gogra and Hot Spring on the LAC
• Both places were key friction points during the 2020 military stand-off

China on Tuesday strongly opposed India’s decision to assign standardised names to 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh, claiming that the areas belong to it. The response came after India’s Ministry of Home Affairs announced standard names for the places as part of an official mapping exercise.

Responding to a question at a media briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China has never recognised the “so-called ‘Union Territory of Ladakh’ unilaterally and illegally established by India” and “firmly opposes India’s announcement of so-called standard names”.

Mao said, “The move is illegal and invalid and cannot change the fact that the relevant areas in the western sector of the China-India boundary have always belonged to China.”

On October 2, India formally identified 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh, including key border friction points along the Line of Actual Control such as Gogra and Hot Spring, on the official Indian map. The step was taken by the government in consultation with the Ladakh administration and is aimed at streamlining official cartography, enabling precise identification, and improving public awareness of the sensitive border region.

Gogra and Hot Spring are among the major strategic locations and were friction points during the 2020 stand-off between Indian and Chinese forces. The locations are important for Indian patrolling along the Line of Actual Control. The eastern Ladakh border stand-off began on May 5, 2020, after a violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Pangong Lake area. Both sides began the disengagement process in 2022.

The other locations identified by India are Alisha Giri, Brangsa, Chapchingal Pass, Kanishka Peak, Karun Pir mountain, Kuksel, Martand Giri, Parpik glacier, Skamri Glacier, Shachmirik Pass, Shkorga Valley, Zorawar Peak, Dehra Compass, Drak Karpo, Jolmori, Kumarayana Point, Panglung, Rinchen Zangpo, Sakyasri Giri, Guru Rinpoche, Shamal Lungpa, Yangpa River, Marpa Lotsava Ri, Milarepa Kangri, Shiva Ri and Maheshwara Ri. Shamal Lungpa has been described as a patrol and staging route in the 1950s.

The exchange followed India’s move to formally map 28 locations in Ladakh, including Gogra and Hot Spring, while China repeated its opposition and said the move could not alter its position on the western sector of the China-India boundary.

With PTI Inputs

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