China objects to India's names for 28 locations in Ladakh

China's foreign ministry has rejected India's decision to standardise names for 28 locations and geographic features in Ladakh, asserting its territorial claim.

Spokesperson Mao Ning said on October 13 that Beijing does not recognise India's Union Territory of Ladakh. She described the naming decision as invalid and repeated China's territorial position. Those statements represent one side of the border dispute.

India identified the 28 features on its official map on October 2 after consulting the Ladakh administration. The Hindu reported that the measure aims to streamline mapping and make locations easier to identify precisely.

The list includes Gogra and Hot Springs, areas involved in the 2020 confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops. It also covers peaks, glaciers, passes, a valley and a river.

The eastern Ladakh standoff escalated in May 2020 after a clash near Pangong Lake. The sides began disengagement in 2022. The latest diplomatic objection concerns names and territorial claims rather than a newly reported clash.