Beijing, Nov. 16 -- China on Friday said it has never recognised the state of Arunachal Pradesh and opposes any visit to the region by Indian leaders, a statement that coincided with defence minister Rajnath Singh's two-day visit to the region to review the security situation along the Sino-India border.
Beijing claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of the geographical territory of south Tibet, or the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), and routinely issues strong statements after Indian leaders visit the state, which has a long, mountainous border with China.
The Chinese foreign ministry's reaction came on Friday even as Singh was touring the border areas, reviewing the situation and interacting with Indian army personnel.
"The Chinese government...