India, Aug. 24 -- India's latest assertion of its territorial identity in Arunachal Pradesh is important, but an inhabited and thriving frontier will remain the strongest answer to China's persistent claims

India has put another marker on the map in its long-running contest with China over Arunachal Pradesh. The latest Survey of India map formally identifies 27 locations in the state by their Indian names, including mountain passes, settlements, a lake and places associated with the 1962 India-China war. It is an important assertion of sovereignty at a time when Beijing continues to insist that Arunachal Pradesh is part of China and repeatedly attempts to impose its own names on places across the state.

But maps, however important, cann...