US passes resolution recognising Arunachal as an integral part of India

The United States Congressional Senatorial Committee on Thursday passed a resolution recognising Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India.

The resolution was passed by Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley, Tennessee's Senator Bill Hagerty, and Texas' Senator Jon Cornyn.

The resolution was cosponsored by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

The legislation reaffirms that the US recognises the McMahon Line as the international boundary between China and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It refused China's claims that large portions of Arunachal Pradesh are their territory, which is a part of the PRC's increasingly aggressive and expansionist policies, a media statement said.

"America's values supporting freedom and a rules-based order must be at the centre of all of our actions and relationships around the world-especially as the PRC government pushes an alternative vision," said Senator Merkley, who serves as the Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

"Committee passage of this resolution affirms that the United States views the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of the Republic of India-not the People's Republic of China-and commits the US to deepen support and assistance to the region, alongside like-minded international partners," he added.

Meanwhile, Senator Hagerty said at the time when China continues to pose grave and gathering threats to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, it's critical for the United States to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our strategic partners in the region-especially India and other Quad countries-and push back against the CCP's broader strategy of territorial aggrandisement that it has pursued in the South and East China Seas, the Himalayas, and the southern Pacific, according to an official statement.

"As tensions between India and China escalate over their shared border, the United States must stand strong in our defence of democracy by supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific," said Senator Cornyn.

Cornyn said further this resolution would reaffirm that the US recognises the Arunachal Pradesh as "part of the Republic of India".