TEHRAN - Bringing India-China border dispute again in spotlight, China this week protested the visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The state is a contested region situated on the border between the two countries and has been source of political and diplomatic tension between the two regional powers.
“The Chinese government has never recognised the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ and is firmly opposed to the Indian leader’s visit,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement.
“China urges the Indian side to … refrain from any action that may lead to the escalation of disputes or complicate the boundary question,” added Hua, hours after Modi’s visit.
Modi was there to inaugurate construction work for two airports.
Relations between New Delhi and Beijing have been marked by animosity since the 1962 war over Arunachal Pradesh border, when Chinese troops temporarily seized control of a part of contested territory.
The dispute remains unresolved, with India considering Arunachal Pradesh one of its northeastern states while China claims about 90,000 square kilometres of the territory as its own.
“Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time, as they visit other parts of India. This consistent position has been conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
In 2017, the two regional giants were involved in a standoff in Bhutan’s Doklam region after the Indian army sent troops to stop construction of a road by China.