CNN-IBN

New Delhi: The Home Ministry was cautious about reports of Chinese intrusions into Arunachal Pradesh.

[Photo on the left]: Chinese were occupying grazing lands used by villagers in Arunachal.

The denial came in the wake of statements by a BJP MP from Arunachal claiming China has moved 20 km into India.

The MP said the areas occupied were the Sumdorong Chu Valley and the Asapila and Lungar camps all in Tawang district.

He said that the Chinese were occupying grazing lands used by villagers and other strategic points. The home ministry said India's borders were secure.

Home Ministry MoS, S P Jaiswal said, “We are very alert with our borders and we want to assure that even one inch of our land cannot be occupied by any nation. But this particular issue is a matter related to defence ministry. They will gather all information on this issue and then inform you all.”

Earlier China's Ambassador to India, Sun Yuxi, claimed that Arunachal Pradesh as part of his country.

In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN, Chinese Ambassador Sun Yuxi reiterated his country's claim to the strategically important state and said the border dispute with India was complicated and would take time to resolve.

China cites the Tawang Monastery, one of the last vestiges of Mahayana Buddhism, as evidence that the mountainous district of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh once belonged to Tibet and that India should hand it back to help settle the row.

The dispute over the 3,500-km India-China border led to the 1962 war. New Delhi disputes Beijing's rule over 38,000 sq km of barren, icy and uninhabited land on the Tibetan plateau, which China seized from India in the 1962 war.

China, for its part, claims 90,000 sq km of territory in Arunachal Pradesh.

CNN-IBN

Recent Development:
As of November, 2006, the Chinese Ambassador to India, Sun Yuxi has publicly stated in India: "In our position, the whole of the state of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory. And Tawang is only one of the places in it. We are claiming all of that. That is our position." India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has countered that statement by saying that "Arunachal is an integral part of India." India and China are currently engaged in talks to resolve the boundary question. Last year, both countries signed the "Political Parameters and Guiding Principles" document to peacefully resolve this issue.

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