
Context:
India solemnly protested against China on the formation of the two counties in the Hotan prefecture that includes parts of Ladakh territory.
Key Highlights:
- A county is a local administrative area within a country or state, with its own local government.
- Concerns
- Another huge concern terms for India is the mega hydro power project on the Yarlung Tsangpo, Tibetan for Brahmaputra, which flows through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
Hotan Prefecture Region
- Location
- Situated in southwestern Xinjiang, China, bordering Tibet Autonomous Region and Union Territory of Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan.
- Disputed Area
- Most of the Aksai Chin area, which China and India both claim, belongs to Hotan Prefecture.
- County seat: Hotan, largest county: Karakax County.
- Residents
- Majority of the residents are Muslim Uyghurs who live in oases between Taklamakan Desert and Kunlun Mountains.