India’s Ministry of Home Affairs officially named 28 strategic locations in Ladakh on Oct. 2, 2024, citing the need to standardise cartography. The list includes Gogra, Hot Spring, Alisha Giri, and Kanishka Peak, among others.
China’s Foreign Ministry, through spokesperson Mao Ning, slammed the decision as illegal and invalid, insisting the areas belong to China. "The move is illegal and invalid," she said, adding it is a unilateral act.
The 2020 standoff at Gogra and Hot Spring, where Indian and Chinese troops clashed on May 5, set the backdrop for the naming, as both sides began disengagement in 2022.
India says the naming will streamline official maps, aid patrols, and raise public awareness of the sensitive border zone, having consulted the Ladakh administration.
China’s objection is expected to trigger a formal diplomatic protest, while India remains committed to the updated nomenclature amid heightened border tensions.