evidence: China says the area is part of Zangnan, or South Tibet, citing historical rights. It has renamed the region on its official maps and issues separate visas to Indian citizens from the area in a bid to assert sovereignty. [...] "The United States recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory, and we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control," Vedant Patel, a U.S. State Department spokesperson, said last week. [...] "China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this. The China-India boundary has never been delimited. Zangnan has always been China's territory, a basic fact that is undeniable," said ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.