September 27, 2024: China has reacted strongly to the recent naming of an unnamed peak in Arunachal Pradesh by Indian mountaineers, calling the act both "illegal" and "null and void." During a media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated Beijing's long-standing claim over Arunachal Pradesh, which it refers to as Zangnan.

Lin stated, "It's illegal for India to establish the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh' in what we consider Chinese territory." While he claimed to be unaware of the specific incident regarding the peak, he affirmed China's consistent stance on the territorial dispute.

The naming of the peak came after a successful expedition by the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), under the Ministry of Defence. Led by Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal, the team scaled the 20,942-foot summit on September 25 and chose to name it after the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso. The Defence Ministry described the choice as a tribute to the Dalai Lama's "timeless wisdom and profound contributions" to the Monpa community, a nomadic tribe in Northeast India.

The Defence Ministry noted that the peak was one of the most technically challenging and unexplored summits in the region, with the mountaineers overcoming significant obstacles including "sheer ice walls, treacherous crevasses, and a two-km-long glacier."

Sources indicate that formalities are being completed to ensure that "Tsangyang Gyatso Peak" is recognized on India’s official maps, reinforcing the country’s claim to the region.