- India firmly rejects China-Pakistan references to Jammu and Kashmir.
- New Delhi asserts J&K and Ladakh are integral parts of India.
India on Tuesday strongly rejected references to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement issued by China and Pakistan, asserting that Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India.
Responding to media queries, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India “categorically rejects” the unwarranted references made in the China-Pakistan joint statement.
“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.
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India also reiterated its opposition to projects under the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, some of which pass through territory claimed by India.
The MEA spokesperson said India “resolutely opposes and rejects” any attempt by other countries to legitimise what it described as Pakistan’s “illegal and forcible occupation” of Indian territory.
He added that India had conveyed its position on the issue to both Pakistani and Chinese authorities on several occasions.
The government also objected to references in the joint statement regarding “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,” Jaiswal said.
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India further reiterated that it has never recognised the so-called 1963 boundary agreement between China and Pakistan.
Pakistan, China Mentions Kashmir Again As Islamabad
China and Pakistan once again raised the Kashmir issue in a joint statement issued after talks between Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
According to the statement released by Pakistan’s foreign ministry, the Pakistani side briefed China on the latest developments in Jammu and Kashmir.
The statement said the Chinese side reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir issue is “left over from history” and should be resolved peacefully in line with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.
The wording in the May 26 joint statement is similar to the one issued by both countries in 2024, which had also described the Jammu and Kashmir issue as a matter “left over from history” and called for its peaceful resolution under the framework of the UN Charter.
