Members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile have strongly condemned China’s recent release of its 2023 “standard map,” which includes the Indian territories of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as part of China. Speaking to ANI news, Tibetan parliamentarian Dawa Tsering stated, “China can never be trusted,” adding that China’s leaders “can never be anybody’s friends.”
The map, released on August 28 by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, also lays claim to Taiwan and disputed areas in the South China Sea, further escalating tensions with neighboring countries. The release comes ahead of next month’s G20 Summit, and another Tibetan parliamentarian in exile, Yeshi Dolma, described the act as “provocative,” aimed at unsettling India.
The comments were made during the Jammu leg of an India tour by a delegation of 11 Tibetan parliamentarians in exile. The delegation is meeting leaders and intellectuals in various Indian states to raise awareness about the situation in Tibet. In Jammu, they also met with strategic analyst Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma, who echoed the Tibetan MPs’ sentiments, calling China’s new map “absolutely wrong” and labeling China as an “expansionist country.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also lodged a strong diplomatic protest against the map. MEA Official Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, stated that such steps “only complicate the resolution of the boundary question.”
This is not the first instance of China employing such tactics to assert territorial claims. Earlier this year in April, China unilaterally “renamed” as many as 11 Indian locations, including mountain peaks, rivers, and residential areas, triggering another round of political confrontations.
The new map and the subsequent reactions it has garnered add another layer of complexity to the already strained relations between China and its neighbors, particularly India and the countries with claims in the South China Sea.
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The Tibetan MPs in exile urged all South Asian countries to stand united against China’s expansionist policies. “It has to be condemned,” said Dawa Tsering, emphasizing that the international community needs to be wary of China’s intentions.
The strong reactions from both Tibetan and Indian officials indicate a growing concern over China’s aggressive territorial claims, not just in the Himalayan region but also in broader South and Southeast Asia.
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