China has made changes to the map. These are the territories of two countries
China’s state cartographic service presented a set of maps for 2023. It recognized a fragment of Russian territory as part of China. The Indian state was also included on the official maps, which was met with a sharp protest from the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
China’s state-owned “Cartographic Service of Standard Maps” has released a new, officially approved set of geographic maps for 2023. A portion of Russia’s territory has been marked as part of China.
This is the Bolshoi Ussuriysky island located on the Amur River. It was divided under the 2008 agreement between Russia and China. On the published map, the island is separately listed as the country’s easternmost point. “The standard map was drawn up in accordance with the national border design standards of China and other countries in the world,” the explanatory note added.
The new official set of maps is intended for use as illustrations in news, books and promotional materials. The state website noted that they can also be used as a reference basemap. The website rbc.ru informed the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about this, but so far the Ministry of Diplomacy has not reacted.
China claims Indian territory. There is a protest
India on Tuesday said it had strongly protested through diplomatic channels over the new map that claims its territory. Reuters notes that this is the latest source of irritation in relations between Asian giants.
New Delhi reacted following Indian media reports that Beijing had published an official “standard map” showing the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh (bordering China to the north) and the Aksai Chin Plateau as its official territory. Aksai is a disputed plateau in the western Himalayas claimed by India but controlled by China.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas is part of southern Tibet and in April published a map renaming 11 places in the state “Zangnan,” or southern Tibet in Chinese.
