Arunachal an integral part of India, China trying to change status quo at LAC: US

The United States recognises the McMahon Line as the international boundary between China and Arunachal Pradesh, according to a bipartisan Senate resolution which sees Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India.

“At a time when China continues to pose grave and gathering threats to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, it is critical for the United States to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our strategic partners in the region, especially India,” Senator Bill Hagerty, who along with Senator Jeff Merkley introduced a resolution in the Senate, said.

‘Integral part of India’

“This bipartisan resolution expresses the Senate’s support for unequivocally recognizing the state of Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India, condemning China’s military aggression to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control, and further enhancing the US-India strategic partnership and the Quad in support of the free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said on Tuesday (March 14).

The resolution, which comes following the clash between India and China in the eastern sector along the Line of Actual Control in six years, reaffirms that the United States recognizes the McMahon Line as the international boundary between China and Arunachal Pradesh.

Also read: Arunachal Pradesh Day: Know why the state matters so much to India and China

The resolution also pushes back against People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims that Arunachal Pradesh is PRC territory, which is a part of the PRC’s increasingly aggressive and expansionist policies.

“America’s values supporting freedom and a rules-based order must be at the center of all of our actions and relationships around the world, especially as the PRC government pushes an alternative vision,” Merkley said.

“This resolution makes clear that the United States views the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of the Republic of India, not the People’s Republic of China, and commits the US to deepening support and assistance to the region, alongside like-minded international partners and donors,” he said.

China’s provocations 

The bipartisan Senator’s resolution condemns additional China’s provocations, including the People’s Republic of China’s use of military force to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control, construction of villages in contested areas, publication of maps with Mandarin-language names for cities and features in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, and expansion of PRC territorial claims in Bhutan.

Also read: Tawang clash: US urges India, China to use bilateral channels to sort out border row

Furthermore, the resolution commends the Government of India for taking steps to defend itself against aggression and security threats from China. These efforts include securing India’s telecommunications infrastructure; examining its procurement processes and supply chains; implementing investment screening standards; and expanding its cooperation with Taiwan in public health and other sectors.

“The resolution serves to further strengthen the US-India bilateral partnership regarding defence, technology, economics, and people-to-people ties, and promotes enhancing our multilateral cooperation with India through the Quad, the East Asia Summit alongside our partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and other international fora,” said the Senator.

This resolution is co-sponsored by Senator John Cornyn.

(With inputs from agencies)