China on Wednesday defended its move to release a new “standard map” for 2023 showing Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as part of its territory, saying that it is a “routine practice” in accordance with its law and urged India to “stay objective and calm” and refrain from “over-interpreting” the issue.India on Tuesday lodged a strong protest with China over its so-called “standard map” laying claim over Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin, and asserted that such steps only complicate the resolution of the boundary question.
The External Affairs Ministry also rejected these claims as having “no basis”. Asked for his reaction to India’s diplomatic protest by a Chinese state-run outlet, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing in Beijing on Wednesday that “on August 23, the Ministry of National Resources of China released the 2023 edition of the standard map”