China on Wednesday objected to the recent visit of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu to Arunachal Pradesh, saying the country was opposed to his visit as it has never recognised the state. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet. “China’s position on the boundary issue is consistent and clear. The Chinese government has never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh established unilaterally and illegally by the Indian side and firmly opposes the Indian leader’s visit to this above-mentioned area,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing. India strongly rejected China’s objection, asserting that the state is an “integral and inalienable” part of India. 

Naidu visited Arunachal Pradesh on October 9 and addressed a special session of the state assembly during which he said the visible transformation of the northeast is a clear evidence of resurgence in the region’s pace of development which remained neglected for decades.