MEA reaffirms Ladakh is an integral part of India, says China’s denial cannot change facts

China on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) strongly opposed India’s move to standardise names for 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh, reiterating its claim over the region.

China has never recognised the “so-called Union Territory of Ladakh”, which India “unilaterally and illegally established”, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a media briefing in Beijing.

Ms. Mao was responding to India’s Ministry of Home Affairs announcing standardised names for 28 locations and geographical features in Ladakh.

On October 2, India formally assigned standardised names to 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh, including key border friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), such as Gogra and Hot Springs, on its official map.

Responding to media queries on comments made by the Chinese side regarding Ladakh, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that the Union Territory of Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India, adding that no amount of denial by China can change this fact.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the Ministry of Home Affairs’ press release was self-explanatory, noting that 28 places and geographical features in the Union Territory of Ladakh had been assigned standardised names on the official Survey of India map in consultation with the UT administration and local stakeholders. It added that the move aims to ensure accurate identification of these locations and improve public awareness.