Safeguard Chinese territory near Arunachal border, Xi tells herders

Yumai is in the eastern section of the boundary with Arunachal Pradesh.

In a direct message to the herdsmen living on the Chinese side of the Tibet-Arunachal Pradesh border, President Xi Jinping encouraged them to set down roots in the border area and also safeguard, China's integrity.

"Without peace in the territory, there will be no peaceful life for millions of families," Xi told two young girls of a family of herders, who wrote to him describing their border village Yumai in Lhunze county in Tibet, explaining their work in safeguarding it.

Yumai is in the eastern section of the boundary with Arunachal Pradesh. China claims 90,000 sq km in this state. Herders have been widely used by Chinese authorities to make border claims in different areas including India and Bhutan in the past.

In his reply, Xi acknowledged the family's efforts to safeguard the territory and thanked them for the loyalty and contributions they have made in the border area", official Xinhua news agency said.

He hoped that the family would motivate more herders to set down roots in the border area like 'galsang flowers', and become guardians of the Chinese territory and constructors of a happy hometown, the report also said.

The news report also said that the girls, Zhoigar and Yangzom, wrote to Xi while the 19th CPC National Congress was in session in Beijing and shared their experiences in safeguarding the border area and the development of their township over the years.

OneIndia News