China opposes India’s move to name 28 strategic locations in Ladakh
China has formally opposed India's decision to assign standardized names to 28 strategic locations in the Ladakh region. Beijing claims the move is illegal and asserts that the areas in the western sector of the border have always belonged to China.
Why it matters
This diplomatic friction underscores the ongoing territorial disputes and geopolitical tensions between India and China along the Line of Actual Control.
China on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) strongly opposed India's decision to assign standardised names to 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh, claiming that the areas belonged to it.
"China has never recognised the so-called ‘Union Territory of Ladakh’ unilaterally and illegally established by India," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing in Beijing.
Beijing, she said, "firmly opposes India's announcement of so-called standard names”.
Ms. Mao was responding to a question on India's Ministry of Home Affairs announcing standardised names for 28 places and geographical features in Ladakh.
"The move is illegal and invalid and cannot change the fact that the relevant areas in the western sector of the China-India boundary have always belonged to China," she said.
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