PM Modi's Arunachal Visit Draws China's Ire: Tunnel Inauguration Sparks Reaction

China has lodged a diplomatic protest with India regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, where he inaugurated the strategically important Sela tunnel. Asserting Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet, China expressed concern that India's actions would "only complicate" the boundary issue.

"China has never recognized the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India and firmly opposes it," stated Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a media briefing, as reported by PTI.

Wenbin emphasized that India had no right to unilaterally develop the area of Zangnan in China, which China has named Arunachal Pradesh.

"India's relevant actions only serve to complicate the boundary question. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the leader's visit to the eastern section of the China-India boundary," added the Chinese official.

China has previously objected to visits by Indian politicians to Arunachal Pradesh. However, India has maintained that the state is an integral part of the country, and assigning "invented" names will not alter reality.

On March 9, PM Modi inaugurated the Sela tunnel, the world's longest two-lane tunnel, which will connect Tezpur in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Constructed at a cost of Rs 825 crore, the tunnel is located at an altitude of 13,000 feet.

The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang, which shares a boundary with China in the north, and is expected to facilitate better movement of troops and equipment to forward locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

Additionally, the tunnel will reduce travel time from Tezpur to Tawang by more than an hour.