Escalating diplomatic face-off over the visit of Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh, China today warned India that the Tibetan spiritual leader’s visit to “disputed areas” will negatively impact the settlement of the border dispute.

Talking to reporters, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang added that China would take “further action” to safeguard its “territorial sovereignty and national security”.

He went on to slam political statements made by Dalai Lama and Indian officials as “disgraceful performance”.

These statements come close on the heels of  Chinese state media claiming that people of Arunachal Pradesh are unhappy under India’s “illegal rule’’.

“Under India’s illegal rule, the residents of Southern Tibet [as China refers to Arunachal Pradesh] live difficult lives, face various kinds of discrimination, and look forward to returning to China,” the official China Daily said.