Pakistan, May 15 -- China has renamed several locations in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, marking an escalation in its territorial dispute with India. This action follows China's decision in April of last year to rename 30 locations in the region, which is also claimed by Beijing.

According to a statement from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the newly renamed areas are part of Zangnan (the Chinese name for Arunachal Pradesh), which China asserts is historically, geographically, and administratively an integral part of its territory.

The ministry claimed that the renaming was an exercise in asserting China's sovereignty over the region, describing it as a domestic matter aimed at promoting the region's historical and cultura...