Every year, Beijing comes up with a new list of Chinese names for locations in Arunachal Pradesh. In April 2026, China released another batch of “standardised” names for places across the Indian state. This is something China does all the time as part of its claim on Arunachal Pradesh. India quickly said no to this move, saying it was an attempt to make people believe something that is not true.
Why does China keep renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh?. Why does it not change anything? The answer is simple: maps are not the same as legitimacy. China calls Arunachal Pradesh “Zangnan” or “South Tibet”. Says it belonged to Tibet a long time ago. So Beijing keeps giving names to mountains, rivers, villages and passes in Indian territory. Since 2017, China has released lists of renamed places. Now over one hundred places have been renamed. Arunachal Pradesh is still a part of India, and that is not going to change.
History teaches us that just giving names to places on paper does not make them yours. What makes a place yours is how it is governed, the roads, schools and hospitals it has and whether the people who live there agree to it. By these measures, Arunachal Pradesh is definitely Indian. The state sends representatives to the Indian Parliament, takes part in elections, gets money from India’s government and is run by institutions that the people who live there trust.
The people of Arunachal Pradesh pay taxes, go to schools, and work in Indian institutions. No matter how many times China renames places, it cannot change these facts. China’s strategy is like a kind of ” warfare”. It tries to change how people think about a place rather than actually changing the place itself. By publishing maps and giving Chinese names to places, Beijing tries to make its claim on Arunachal Pradesh seem more real both to its own people and to the rest of the world.
This approach is not just used in Arunachal Pradesh. China does the thing in the South China Sea, where it uses maps and administrative declarations to support its claim on the area. The goal is not to take control of the area away but to make its claim seem more normal over time. However, there is a weakness in this strategy when it comes to Arunachal Pradesh. The state is home to different indigenous communities, each with its own history, language and culture. These communities are not just pawns in a game of geopolitics. They are participants in India’s democracy, and their identification with India is a strong argument against China’s claim.
In fact Chinas repeated renaming exercises show that it is not confident in its claim. If Arunachal Pradesh were really accepted as a territory, there would be no need to rename it all the time. The fact that China keeps doing it suggests that it is trying to convince itself and others of something that’s not true. Arunachal Pradesh is also very important strategically as it shares a border with China and has critical mountain passes and river systems. Strategic importance does not automatically mean sovereignty. International law cares more about who controls a place rather than who claims to have controlled it in the past.
India has a position on this count as it has maintained control over Arunachal Pradesh since independence, invested in infrastructure, held elections and integrated the region into the national political system. What has changed in the years is India’s response to China’s claims. Of just protesting India is now combining diplomacy with development. It is building roads, tunnels, bridges and other infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh, which will not only improve connectivity but also strengthen the state’s economy and strategic resilience.
This shift reflects an understanding of how territorial competition works in the twenty-first century. Sovereignty is not about having an army but about providing for the people who live in a place. Roads, schools, healthcare facilities and economic opportunities are all tools of national security. China understands this principle well. India is increasingly recognising it too. The contest between India and China is no longer about lines on a map but about whose governance model can create more trust and prosperity for the people who live in the border regions.
Most countries recognise Arunachal Pradesh as part of India, and China’s attempts to rename locations have not been accepted internationally. In terms of Beijing’s position is largely isolated. India should not be complacent. Dismissing claims as absurd may be satisfying, but it is not enough as a long-term strategy. India needs to keep investing in border infrastructure, developing the economy in frontier districts, improving connectivity and engaging with communities. The best response to aggression is not just words, but visible governance.
Ultimately Chinas renaming campaign misunderstands a truth about territory. Land is not owned by me, China ‘saps. By the people who live on it, the institutions that govern it, and the realities of everyday life. Names can be changed, maps can be redrawn. Sovereignty rests on much deeper foundations. The future of Arunachal Pradesh will not be decided by bureaucrats renaming villages but by the people who live there, vote there, build there and call it home. That is why renaming villages will never change reality.
