Arunachal has always been part of India, China has no claim over it: CM Pema Khandu

China has no claim over Arunachal Pradesh as the state has always been part of India, Chief Minister Pema Khandu asserted on Friday. Referring to the recent denial of regular visas to three Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, he said China “unnecessarily” tries to bring a “political angle” whenever there is an issue related to the border state. “China has no claim over Arunachal Pradesh. Never in history, Arunachal Pradesh has been part of China. It has always been integral part of India,” he said on the sidelines of the 36th senior national tug of war championship 2023 that began here. The three Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh were selected to represent India in the ongoing Asian Games but China gave them a stapled visa leading to cancellation of their visit. Khandu said China had even given a new name to Arunachal Pradesh and released a new map but the country has no locus standi on it. “Such claim has no meaning,” he said, adding that the Ministry of External Affairs has handled the issue since that is the appropriate authority. Referring to the three Wushu players, the chief minister said the state government has given Rs 20 lakh each as a policy to reward anyone from Arunachal Pradesh participating in international competitions. “Since they were selected for the Asian Games and could not go for no fault of theirs, we have decided to give them the money,” he said. Khandu said the state government will ensure the best training for the three players for their preparation for the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Japan so that they can bring laurels. Welcoming the players participating in the national tug-of-war competition, he said Arunachal Pradesh is rich in biodiversity with 80 per cent area covered by forests. “It is a very beautiful state with clean air and tourists are most welcome to the state,” he said. The chief minister also said that it is an attractive destination for adventure tourism like river rafting.