Chinese statement on Arunachal condemned

October 15th, 2009 RANCHI - Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Thursday brushed aside Chinese claims over Arunachal Pradesh saying it was like any other Indian state. Gandhi made the remark when journalists wanted his reaction on China's protest against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the northeastern Indian state which China claims as its own.

October 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A day after China protested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, India Wednesday criticised China for deciding to help Islamabad set up projects in the Pakistani part of Jammu and Kashmir which New Delhi claims as its own. We hope that the Chinese side will take a long term view of the India-China relations, and cease such activities in areas illegally occupied by Pakistan, external affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.

October 14th, 2009 KOLKATA - A day after China renewed its claim on Arunachal Pradesh, the US envoy to India Timothy J. Roemer Wednesday said it respected the process and outcome of the elections in the northeastern state.

October 14th, 2009 KOLKATA - Reiterating India's stand, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh was a constitutional right as the state was an "integral part" of India. Asked for his reaction to China's objection over the prime minister's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Mukherjee said: "The prime minister can definitely visit the state for campaigning or any other purpose." "I too visited Arunachal Pradesh for campaigning and considered it as a legitimate right.

October 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI/BEIJING - India Tuesday rejected China's protest against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, whose ownership is disputed by Beijing, with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee describing it as nothing new and the government expressing disappointment. "It is nothing new.

October 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - China's Ambassador to India Zhang Yang met officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday afternoon shortly after his government expressed "strong" dissastisfaction over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh during electioneering. There was no word about what Yang had discussed with the MEA officials.

October 13th, 2009 ITANAGAR - Indian lawmakers Tuesday slammed Beijing for criticizing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the latest hiccup between the Asian neighbours after reports of Chinese incursions and Indian troop build up along the borders. "It is simply blasphemous on the part of China to oppose or express dissatisfaction over the visit of our prime minister to Arunachal Pradesh," Takam Sanjay, a ruling Congress MP in the Lok Sabha from Arunachal Pradesh, told IANS.

October 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday reiterated that the State of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. The statement issued by a spokesman of the ministry shortly after China expressed "strong" dissastisfaction over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh for electioneering.

September 27th, 2009 ITANAGAR - Two major allies of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre are raking up the Chinese incursion issue in the run up to the assembly elections in the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh even as Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu maintains that Chinese claims over the state are baseless. Elections to the 60-member legislature are scheduled for Oct 13, although voting would be for just 57 seats with three candidates already declared elected unopposed.

September 26th, 2009 TAWANG - Sewang Lama, a businessman, was 11 years old when India and China fought a border war in 1962, with Chinese troops advancing deep into Arunachal Pradesh and inflicting heavy casualties on Indian soldiers. Today, 58-year-old Lama, a father of three, is confident China cannot do a repeat of 1962 in this rugged eastern frontier.

September 24th, 2009 TAWANG - Buddhist monks have been holding special prayers here for the safe visit of the Dalai Lama to India's frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh after China objected to the Tibetan spiritual leader's proposed trip, religious leaders Thursday said. "We are holding daily prayers so that the Dalai Lama's visit passes off peacefully," J.P.

September 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - China on Tuesday flatly denied reports of incursions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Talking to reporters after meeting with Home Secretary G K Pillai here, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yan said: "Nothing is happening.

September 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Clearing the air on the 2.9 billion dollar country plan loan sanctioned to India by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said there was no pending issue and that the loan has been approved. The loan has a total approval of the members.

September 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday dismissed China's objections to the Dalai Lama's proposed visit to Arunachal Pradesh later this year, and said that the Tibetan leader is free to go anywhere in India.

September 15th, 2009 ITANAGAR - The government in the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh Tuesday urged New Delhi to act tough on Chinese claims over the state and snub Beijing's opposition to Dalai Lama's proposed visit to the region. Chinese claims over Arunachal Pradesh are simply baseless and not correct.