Beijing, Jan 18: China today officially launched its state-run mapping website that rivals Google Earth, showing Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin in Jammu and Kashmir -- two key areas of dispute with India -- as part of its territory.
The map called ‘Map World’ displayed on the Internet in Chinese language is already being used in I phone and other mobile and Internet user applications in China.
It shows Arunachal Pradesh that China has always claimed as “southern Tibet” as part of its territory. The map makes no specific mention of southern Tibet but it shows China’s borders covered up to Arunachal Pradesh.
Also, the Aksai Chin area, which India asserts as part of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir has been included by the map as part of China’s Xinjiang province.
Both areas are part of the border dispute being negotiated between the two countries, which so far have held 14 rounds of talks.
The map, however, displays the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir region acknowledging the both sides of the areas respectively under the control of India and Pakistan.
The unresolved border issue has been a simmering issue in Sino-India relations for a long time.
The issue of Arunachal was in the news again this month after two residents of the state were issued stapled visas by China, a development which observers said could be an indication of a change in Beijing’s policy. China had earlier refused to offer visas to the residents of the state.
However, China reiterated yesterday that its policy that Arunachal Pradesh is a “disputed area” remains “unchanged”.
The online mapping service called MAP WORLD is meant to offer an “authoritative, credible and unified” online mapping service, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
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