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Amidst the ongoing claim for the state of Arunachal Pradesh by both India, and China, the United States of America, has made it clear that India holds sovereign rights over Arunachal Pradesh, and has strongly opposed China’s claims, as mentioned by the State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel.

This statement is in response to the Chinese military’s reiterated claim of state control when a diplomatic visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was made to the state, to discuss crucial developmental projects including the Sela tunnel, the world's longest bi-lane tunnel, which will ensure all-weather connectivity to Tawang, which shares a boundary with China in the north.

According to the Indian Military’s spokesperson, the Sela Tunnel will provide for better movement of troops and weaponry to various forward locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, according to Indian military officials.

The Chinese Defence Ministry has called the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh “Zangan- an inherent part of China’s territory,” saying Beijing “never acknowledges and firmly opposes” the “so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India”.

As per the spokesman of the Ministry of National Defence, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, “Zangnan is China’s inherent territory, and China never recognizes and firmly opposes India’s illegal establishment of the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’,”

The Spokesperson of the US State Department Vedant Patel said, "The United States recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory, and we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control."

It’s been years since India and China had clashed on the borders and behind diplomatic close-door visits with regard to the control of the State of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Ministry of External Affairs of India has cited the benefits the state is entitled to receive in the coming months as a vast number of economic developmental projects are underway, boosting the state's living conditions.

The MEA spokesperson, Radhir Jaiswal said “We have noted the comments made by the Spokesperson of the Chinese Defence Ministry advancing absurd claims over the territory of the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. Repeating baseless arguments in this regard does not lend such claims any validity,”. Adding on to the previous he also said, “Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Its people will continue to benefit from our development programs and infrastructure projects,”

China has always claimed the state of Arunachal Pradesh as “South Tibet”, due to its geographical image. It has also been said by the Chinese military that their armed forces present in the bordered areas of dispute, remain alert and are willing to take on any threat posed to the military.