China has lodged a strong protest against Kolkata's U.S. Consul General Craig L Hall's recent remark that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. Beijing on Wednesday said that Arunachal Pradesh is an internal matter between India and China and has no scope for third party intervention.

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"China and India are wise and capable enough to deal with their own issue and safeguard the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples," Chinese Foreign Ministry said. "The intervention of any third party will only complicate the issue and is highly irresponsible."

The ministry further said that India and China are striving to reach an agreement to resolve the dispute over Arunachal Pradesh and other territorial contests between the two nations over other areas including Kashmir and Tibet.    

Hall's statement over Arunachal Pradesh came during his meeting with Arunachal Pradesh's Chief Minister Kalikho Pul last week.

China is claiming the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh as its territory, but India claims it is one of its 29 states. China, on the other hand, insists that Arunachal Pradesh is part of Southern Tibet and therefore is a default part of the People's Republic of China.

Arunachal Pradesh ceded from Tibet to become part British India in 1914 after singing the Shimla accord. However, China does not recognize this accord.

Last month, India's Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar during a diplomatic visit to China reiterated New Delhi's position that China must accept the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to settle territorial disputes between the two countries. However, China has never accepted India's position on the LAC.

Tagschina, Arunachal Pradesh, India, India and China