China’s renaming 29 locations in Arunachal Pradesh diplomatic setback for India
Islamabad: China’s renaming of 29 locations in Arunachal Pradesh and intensifying its territorial claims has exposed the weaknesses in New Delhi’s strategic diplomacy.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the renaming, carried out last month, marks the fifth such list released by Beijing since 2017, as part of its ongoing efforts to assert sovereignty over what it calls South Tibet. This latest move has raised fresh concerns among Indian strategic circles. The timing is especially notable—coming amid rising domestic and international scrutiny of India’s foreign policy effectiveness, particularly with China.
Despite India’s official stance rejecting the legitimacy of the Chinese names and reaffirming Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of the country, Beijing’s actions demonstrate a coordinated strategy to challenge India’s territorial integrity diplomatically and psychologically.
The move also comes at a time when India has been attempting to project diplomatic strength in the region, with high-level visits and multilateral engagements. However, the Chinese renaming exercise undercuts these efforts, suggesting that India’s outreach has failed to deter Beijing’s assertiveness.
Adding to the complexity, China’s simultaneous support for Pakistan in recent regional tensions has further narrowed India’s strategic space, raising alarms over a dual-front challenge both militarily and diplomatically.
With China tightening its grip over narrative-building in the region, from control of critical maritime routes to trade leverage and rare earth exports, India’s failure to pre-empt or prevent the renaming of these 29 locations signals a moment of diplomatic vulnerability.
Analysts warn that without a recalibrated China policy and stronger regional coalition-building, India may continue to lose ground not only on maps, but in global perception.
