evidence: The border law also mentions that "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China are sacred and inviolable". This is of concern to New Delhi as Chinese maps show parts of Ladakh, the Barahoti Plains in the state of Uttarakhand, and the entirety of Arunachal Pradesh as part of China. This has raised speculation that any Indian territory that China occupies either militarily or through settling civilians within these areas will automatically be considered sovereign Chinese territory. In other words, the border law could legitimise China’s military incursions along the LAC and empower it to continue building villages in disputed areas to support its territorial claims. Indian observes have also pointed out that this provision will make it harder to resolve the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh as China is likely to refuse to withdraw any further and remain encamped in its current positions.