China says India's publication of Ladakh place names "illegal, void"

BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- China has never recognized the so-called "Union Territory of Ladakh" illegally and unilaterally established by India and firmly opposes India's publication of "standard place names in Ladakh," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday.

Such moves by the Indian side are illegal and null and void, and cannot alter the fact that the western section of the China-India boundary area has always belonged to China, Mao said.

She made the remarks in response to a question at Tuesday's press briefing after the government of India said it had identified 28 locations in Ladakh by standard names on an official map.