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China has directly rejected India’s Ministry of External Affairs’ claim regarding the Shaksgam Valley in Kashmir. Beijing stated that the area is part of its own territory.
During a press conference on Monday, Mao Ning, in response to a question, stated that India’s criticism regarding infrastructure construction in the Shaksgam Valley is baseless. In her words, China has the full right to carry out any kind of developmental work on its own territory. She further clarified, “The area in question is an integral part of China.”
Earlier, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had claimed that the Shaksgam Valley is part of Indian territory. India stated that it has the right to take any necessary steps to protect its interests. Furthermore, it has never recognized the 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement and considers it illegal.
According to India’s stance, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India. New Delhi also announced that it would regularly protest any attempts to alter the Shaksgam Valley. Concurrently, India does not recognize the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
In response, Mao Ning stated that China and Pakistan signed the boundary agreement by mutual consent in the 1960s, and two sovereign states have the full right to enter into such agreements.
She added, “CPEC is an economic cooperation project aimed at improving the living standards of the local population and ensuring socio-economic growth. Neither this project nor the boundary agreement will impact China’s long-standing position on the Kashmir issue.”
It is noteworthy that India and China have long-standing border disputes. However, in 2024, the two countries reached an important agreement to reduce military tensions along the Himalayan border. In 2020, a bloody clash between the soldiers of the two countries in that area resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers.
Following the 2024 agreement, both countries are attempting to improve relations by resuming direct flights and increasing investment and trade. However, tensions persist between the two powers over various unresolved border issues, including Arunachal Pradesh (which China claims as ‘Zangnan’ or South Tibet). New Delhi has also consistently protested against China’s actions to rename various places in Arunachal.
Source: Dawn Urdu