BEIJING, Feb 21 (IANS): Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin Saturday called in India's Ambassador to China, Ashok K Kantha, to lodge a �stern representation� over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Liu expressed "strong dissatisfaction and staunch opposition" to the Indian side's insistence on arranging the visit by its leader to what he called �the disputed area� on the China-India border.
Modi visited Arunachal Pradesh on Friday to attend its 23rd State Foundation Day.
The Chinese embassy in India lodged a representation with the Indian authorities over the visit on Friday night.
"The Chinese government has never recognized the so-called Arunachal Pradesh," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a press release Friday.
During the meeting with Ambassador Kantha, Vice Foreign Minister Liu pointed out that this act by the Indian side �undermined China's territorial sovereignty, right and interests�, the Xinhua report said.
He said such an act by the Indian side artificially amplified differences between the two countries on the border issue and thus went against the principles and consensus that the two sides reached on properly addressing the issue.
Liu reiterated China's �consistent and clear-cut stance on the China-India border issue�, saying the Chinese government �has never recognized the so-called Arunachal Pradesh unilaterally set up by the Indian side".
It was �an universally recognized, unevadable fact that significant disputes do exist on the eastern section of the China-India border�, Liu said.
He emphasised that China placed importance on developing relations with India. He said the two countries, as neighbours and the top two developing countries in the world, shared broad prospects on cooperation at various levels.
