Rage at China's new map: 'Meaning nothing'

China

China Fury over China's new map - accused of snooping from India and Russia  

Emil Forsberg  

Published 21:20

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Photo: Arnulfo Franco / AP  

News 

China's new map sparks anger. 

 Both India and Russia have got rid of disputed territories.  

- We have been very clear about which regions are ours, says India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. 

On Monday, China released the new edition of its map of the country.  

And it evoked strong emotions immediately.  

On the map, the state of Arunachal Pradesh and the region of Aksai Chin are drawn as Chinese, which has angered the government in Delhi who see the areas as Indian.  

- Putting something on a map means nothing. These areas are very much Indian, says Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to the Indian television channel NDTV, according to TT.  

The 2023 edition of China's standard map was officially released on Monday and launched on the website of the standard map service hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources. This map is compiled based on the drawing method of national boundaries of China and various countries… https://t.co/NgM0G8sbuD https://t.co/bmtriz2Yqe

Now India has sent a "sharp protest via diplomatic channels". 

The countries have been arguing over the areas for years and trying to claim them. For Foreign Minister Jaishankar, there is no doubt that they are under control. 

- We have been very clear about which regions are ours. Making absurd claims does not make someone else's territories theirs, he says.  

Taking from Russia 

For the first time, Russian territory is also claimed to be Chinese, reports Nexta.

It is about the island of Bolshoy Ussuriysky on the Amur River, which Russia and China previously shared after a treaty concluded in 2008. On the new map of the area, the island belongs entirely to China.  

China and Russia have been in a feud over the area since the 19th century before it was taken over and "guarded" by Soviet soldiers in the 1920s. When the area was handed over in 2008, experts believed it was due to Russia's long-term interest in stable relations between the two countries. 

China explains that the map will be used for media material, including news, books, and advertising. 

China's leader Xi Jinping. Photo: Alexey Maish