India on Tuesday strongly rejected “unwarranted references” to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement between China and Pakistan, saying the union Territories remain integral and inalienable parts of India and no other country has the locus standi to comment on it.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a statement also referred to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and rejected any move by other countries “to reinforce or legitimise Pakistan’s illegal and forcible occupation of these territories”, referring to Pakistan occupied Kashmir, through which the CPEC runs.
India also slammed references to “so-called ‘trans-boundary water resources cooperation’ between China and Pakistan”, and said New Delhi has never recognised the so-called 1963 boundary agreement between Pakistan and China, under which Pakistan illegally ceded over 5,180 square kilometres of Indian territory—specifically the Shaksgam Valley in the Baltistan region—to China.
The MEA spokesperson’s statement read:
“India categorically rejects unwarranted references to the union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir in the Joint Statement between China and Pakistan.
“India’s position is consistent and well known to the concerned parties. The union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has the locus standi to comment on the same.
“As regards the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, some of which are in India’s sovereign territory, we resolutely oppose and reject any moves by other countries to reinforce or legitimise Pakistan’s illegal and forcible occupation of these territories, impinging on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This has been clearly conveyed to Pakistani and Chinese authorities several times.
“We have also seen references to the so-called ‘trans-boundary water resources cooperation’ between China and Pakistan. As the two countries do not share any boundary, the question of so-called ‘trans-boundary water resources cooperation’ does not arise. India has never recognized the so-called 1963 boundary agreement between Pakistan and China.”
The China-Pakistan joint statement was issued at the conclusion of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Beijing.
The joint statement referred to the Kashmir issue as “leftover from history”, and China reiterated its long-standing stance that the dispute should be “properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and bilateral agreements”.
The joint statement also mentions the CPEC, which it refers to as a “pioneering project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)”. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to upgrading the corridor and ensuring the smooth operation and safety of its infrastructure.
However, the CPEC runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), specifically the Gilgit-Baltistan region, to which India has repeatedly registered its protest.
China and Pakistan declared they will defend CPEC against what they described as “all threats and negative propaganda”.
