But the visit to Tawang is especially galling to China.
The town is heavily linked to nearby Tibet and has one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. China briefly occupied Tawang during the 1962 war before pulling back to the informal border.
The sixth Dalai Lama was born in Tawang in the 17th century and China fears the current Dalai Lama might announce that his successor could come from this town or somewhere else outside Tibet — meaning outside of Chinese control. China expects to exercise a strong hand in choosing the next Dalai Lama and is increasingly sensitive about the region since deadly anti-government riots broke out in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa last year.
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