China on Monday said that they have no details to release regarding the Indian Army’s inquiry about five locals missing from India’s northern Arunachal Pradesh and refused to recognise the state as Indian territory.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated that Beijing has never recognised Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory, calling it China’s South Tibet region.
“China has never recognised so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh', which is China's South Tibet region, and we have no details to release yet about question on Indian Army sending a message to PLA about five missing Indians in the region”, Lijian said at a press briefing on Monday. India is yet to respond to the Chinese claims on its territory.
Ninong Ering, a member of the local Legislative Assembly and a former cabinet minister, on 5 September accused China's People's Liberation Army of abducting five people from India's north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
He claimed that China may escalate tensions in Arunachal Pradesh "after Ladakh", another border region which has seen a number of confrontations, including a deadly skirmish, since May.
Following the reports, Arunachal Pradesh police launched a probe and Kiren Rijiju, a minister in the Narendra Modi government, said, "The Indian Army has already sent hotline message to the counterpart PLA establishment at the border point in Arunachal Pradesh. Response is awaited".
The Indian Army has already sent hotline message to the counterpart PLA establishment at the border point in Arunachal Pradesh. Response is awaited. https://t.co/eo6G9ZwPQ9
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 6, 2020
The Arunachal Pradesh government on Monday said they are closely monitoring the case of the five missing people in the Nacho region, Upper Subansiri district, and asked as an administration to assist all concerned agencies in tracing the missing boys.
The missing people went hunting in a forest in Upper Subansiri district on the Sino-India border on 20 August and were reported missing by the family members when they did not return by 3 September.
