India on Saturday dismissed China’s opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh. The Ministry of External Affairs said the state is an “integral and inalienable part of India” and the country’s leaders make visits as they would go anywhere else in India.

The ministry said New Delhi has conveyed its opinion to Beijing on several occasions.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory and calls it South Tibet. It had renamed six places in the state in April 2017 after lodging protests with India over the Dalai Lama’s visit to the region. In the past too, Beijing has protested against the visits to Arunachal Pradesh by Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, claiming that their trips were not conducive to the region’s “tranquility and peace”.

Beijing on Saturday claimed its stance on the boundary between the two countries is consistent and clear-cut. “The Chinese government has never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh and is firmly opposed to the Indian leader’s visit to the East Section of the China-India boundary,” China’s foreign ministry said.

Modi was in the state on Saturday as part of a two-day visit to the North East.

“China urges the Indian side to bear in mind the common interests of the two countries, respect the interests and concerns of the Chinese side, cherish the momentum of improvement in bilateral relations, and refrain from any action that may lead to the escalation of disputes or complicate the boundary question,” Beijing said.