India slams ‘unwarranted references’ to J&K in China-Pak statement
text_fields
New Delhi: India on Tuesday strongly criticised the “unwarranted references” to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement issued by China and Pakistan following a meeting between the leaders of the two countries in Beijing, reiterating that no other country has any locus standi to comment on the matter.
“India categorically rejects unwarranted references to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the Joint Statement between China and Pakistan,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media queries.
He added that India’s position is “consistent and well known” to the concerned parties, stressing that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India,” and that no country has the right to comment on the issue.
The remarks came after Chinese President Xi Jinping met visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing on Monday, where they discussed strengthening a closer China–Pakistan community with a “shared future” in the new era.
In a separate meeting, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir assured Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that the Pakistani military would continue to fully promote the China–Pakistan community with a shared future, along with the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
India has consistently opposed the “illegal” CPEC, calling it a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and has stated that it directly impinges on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“As regards the so-called China–Pakistan Economic Corridor 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,” the MEA spokesperson said, adding that this position has been conveyed repeatedly to both Pakistani and Chinese authorities.
He further said India has also noted references to so-called “trans-boundary water resources cooperation” between China and Pakistan, stating that no such cooperation is possible as the two countries do not share a boundary. India has also never recognised the 1963 boundary agreement between China and Pakistan, he added.
With IANS inputs