India China Tension: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed India’s claim over the Shaksgam Valley, stating that the region belongs to China and that Beijing has the right to undertake infrastructure development there. Mao Ning said China and Pakistan legally signed a boundary agreement in the 1960s, calling it a legitimate exercise of sovereign rights by two independent nations.
According to China, CPEC is an economic cooperation project aimed at boosting regional development and improving local livelihoods, and it does not affect China’s stance on the Kashmir issue.
India China Tension: Geographical Importance of Shaksgam Valley
The Shaksgam Valley borders China’s Xinjiang region to the north, Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) to the south and west, and the Siachen Glacier region to the east. India termed China’s infrastructure buildup in the Shaksgam Valley as “illegal and invalid,” reiterating that the region is an integral and inalienable part of Indian territory.
India Rejects 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India has never recognized the 1963 China-Pakistan boundary agreement or the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passing through Indian territory under Pakistan’s illegal occupation.
India emphasized that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India and confirmed that it has consistently protested China’s actions in the region. New Delhi warned that it reserves the right to take necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and interests amid attempts to alter ground realities in the Shaksgam Valley.
India-China Dispute
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson further stated that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India. This has been clearly conveyed to both Chinese and Pakistani officials on multiple occasions. We have consistently opposed Chinese attempts to alter the ground reality in the Shaksgam Valley. We also reserve the right to take necessary steps to protect our interests.
Also Read: India rejects ‘Third-Party Role’ as China backs Trump on Pakistan truce amid India-Pakistan conflict
