China cannot gain legitimacy for forcibly occupying regions by creating new counties, according to India.

India has expressed its strong disapproval towards China's recent decision to create two new counties in the Hotan prefecture. The Indian government has stated that this move will not legitimize China's occupation of the region, which India considers to be illegal and forced.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that parts of these so-called counties fall within India's Union Territory of Ladakh, and that this action by China will have no impact on India's consistent stance on its sovereignty over the area. Jaiswal emphasized that India has never accepted China's occupation of Indian territory and that the creation of new counties will not change India's position.

In response to China's announcement, Jaiswal stated that India has lodged a formal protest through diplomatic channels. This latest development comes after the two nations resumed boundary talks, which had been stalled for almost five years. The talks took place just days after India and China resolved an over four-and-a-half-year border standoff and agreed to take steps to rebuild trust.

During the talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to revive various bilateral dialogue mechanisms, signaling a desire to improve relations. In their meeting, Modi stressed the importance of managing differences and disputes in a peaceful manner and maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas.

Almost a month later, India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks in Beijing as part of the Special Representatives framework. This was the first time in five years that the two sides engaged in this dialogue. During the talks, Doval and Wang focused on finding positive ways to cooperate on cross-border issues such as resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, sharing river data, and increasing border trade.

Despite these efforts, China's recent announcement of creating new counties in the Hotan prefecture has added to the ongoing tensions between the two nations. However, India remains committed to resolving differences through peaceful means and maintaining a peaceful relationship with its neighbor.

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