External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has dismissed the so-called 2023 standard map released by China that lays claim to India's territory, saying that making absurd claim does not make other countries' territories as theirs. In an interview to a private channel, Dr Jaishankar said that China has a habit of releasing such maps, and told China that merely including other countries' territories in its map meant nothing, as the territories are very much part of India. Dr Jaishankar said that the government of India is very clear about what is needed to defend its territory.
 
India has lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the said map. In response to media queries, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that  India rejects these claims as they have no basis. He said, such steps by the Chinese side only complicate the resolution of the boundary question.