Hangzhou – In a move that has further strained diplomatic relations between China and India, Beijing has denied entry to three Wushu players hailing from the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, who were set to participate in the ongoing Asian Games being held in Hangzhou.
The decision was met with strong criticism from Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who deemed China’s actions as unnecessary and an attempt to introduce a political dimension to border state issues.
CM Khandu asserted, “This is not a new thing for us. It is very unfortunate that they keep creating obstacles. They claim that Arunachal Pradesh is their part, but in history, Arunachal has never been a part of China. Everyone knows this.” He further emphasized that Arunachal Pradesh has always been an integral part of India.
The three Wushu athletes were granted approval by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee, but their entry into China was obstructed as they were unable to obtain their accreditation cards, which serve as visas for entry.
Arunachal Pradesh’s government has taken a stand to support its athletes, offering a financial reward of ₹20 lakh each to the players who were unable to compete due to no fault of their own.
CM Khandu also announced plans to provide the three athletes with the best training in preparation for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, with hopes of bringing honor to the state.
Arunachal Pradesh has become a contentious issue between India and China, with territorial disputes intensifying in recent years. China’s inclusion of Arunachal Pradesh in its map as ‘South Tibet’ and the renaming of 11 places in the region have escalated tensions.
Despite these challenges, India maintains that Arunachal Pradesh is and always will be an integral part of the country.
This incident comes after a similar occurrence earlier this year when the Indian Wushu team chose not to participate in the World University Games held in Chengdu due to visa issues, underscoring China’s refusal to acknowledge India’s territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh.*
