On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China does not recognize the "Ladakh Union Territory" illegally set up by India, and firmly opposes the so-called "standard names" India released for locations in the region.

Mao made the remarks following reports that India's Ministry of Home Affairs finalized names for 28 locations in the region and marked them on its map.

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"This attempt by India is illegal, null, and void," Mao said. "Still less will it change the fact that the western sector of the China-India border belongs to China."