India rejects unwarranted references to J-K in China-Pakistan joint statement
New Delhi, May 26
India on Tuesday strongly rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement issued by China and Pakistan, stating that "Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts" of the country, and no other country has the locus standi to comment on the same.
Responding to media queries on the references to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the Joint Statement between China and Pakistan, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said India's position is consistent and well known to the concerned parties.
"India categorically rejects unwarranted references to the Union Territory of Jammu and 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," he said.
He said India rejects any moves by other countries to reinforce Pakistan's illegal occupation of territories concerning CPEC, impinging on India's territorial integrity.
"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," Jaiswal said.
"This has been clearly conveyed to Pakistani and Chinese authorities several times," he added.
He said India has never recognised the so-called 1963 boundary agreement.
"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," Jaiswal said.
A statement was released by Pakistan's Foreign Office following talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The four-day visit of Sharif to China concluded on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Pakistan briefed the Chinese side on the "latest developments" in Jammu and Kashmir.
"The Chinese side reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is left over from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with the U.N. Charter, relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements," the statement said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see India's firm stance. But I wish we also focused more on ground realities in J&K—development, jobs, and peace for our brothers and sisters there. Strong words are needed, but so is strong action.
As someone who follows geopolitics, this is standard diplomatic pushback. India consistently rejects any third-party interference on Kashmir. The China-Pakistan joint statement is predictable—they want to internationalize an issue that, legally, is bilateral between India and Pakistan.
Good rejection, but why does China keep meddling? They know J&K is Indian. The 1963 boundary agreement is a joke—Pakistan illegally gave away our land to China. India should never recognize it. Also, 'trans-boundary water cooperation'? That's just a fancy term for stealing our river waters!
I appreciate India's strong diplomatic stance, but I wonder if this will have any real impact. China and Pakistan will continue to talk. Perhaps India needs to build stronger alliances in the region to counter this narrative, rather than just issuing statements.
Well said, MEA! Every time China and Pakistan talk, they try to drag Kashmir into it. It's our internal matter. The UN resolutions are outdated and irrelevant now. J&K's status was settled in 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated. Time for the world to move on! 💪
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