Arunachal in China? Map in a National Daily Sparks Outrage

The map was part of a four-page advertisement for ‘China Daily’, published to promote Indo-China relations.

National daily Hindustan Times, on 15 October, carried a four-page spread that was meant to show healthy Indo-China relations.

But an element in that spread has sparked an outrage on exactly the problem that has had India and China at loggerheads for decades – the international border separating the two countries.

In the four-page advertisement for China Daily, Arunachal Pradesh in the map of India, is shown as part of China. Parts of Kashmir and Ladakh are shown in Pakistan.

The wrongful depiction of the map has sparked a backlash on social media, and Hindustan Times published a corrigendum.

Hindustan Times expresses regret. pic.twitter.com/IsvsWomyLo

— Khaman Dhokla (@khamandhokla) October 16, 2016

Hindustan Times thinks a disclaimer is enough to publish a supplement prepared by China Daily, PRC, showing a distorted map of India. pic.twitter.com/N3rx5u8FIP

— Khaman Dhokla (@khamandhokla) October 15, 2016

@PMOIndia do we allow Indian News paper to publish Wrong Map of India? A snippet from China daily Suppliment in HT (Oct 15).@minhazmerchant pic.twitter.com/ZkkyCNY5jQ

— Ashutosh Srivastav (@Ashutosh11jan) October 15, 2016

Perils of doing business with Chinese State media: HT's paid-for supplement by China Daily carries wrong India map, apology follows. pic.twitter.com/yfJmJ4o80Y

— Ananth Krishnan (@ananthkrishnan) October 16, 2016

The border dispute between India and China on the east and India and Pakistan on the west is at the heart of diplomatic relations between the countries. The four-page spread was published during the BRICS summit, to promote Indo-China relations.

But ‘cartographically’ speaking, the move has backfired.