Indian State Part of China ‘Since Ancient Times,’ Beijing Says

A senior official in Beijing on Thursday doubled down on Chinese territorial claims to a state in northeastern India, before criticizing Washington for “provoking disputes” by backing New Delhi. “Zangnan has been China’s territory since ancient times. This is an undeniable fact,” Col. Wu Qian, China’s Defense Ministry spokesperson, said of the region the Indian government calls the state of Arunachal Pradesh. China says the area is part of Zangnan, or South Tibet, citing historical rights. It has renamed the region on its official maps and issues separate visas to Indian citizens from the area in a bid to assert…