China, Jan 13 : On Monday dismissed India’s assertion over the Shaksgam Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, stating that the region belongs to China and that it has the right to undertake infrastructure activity there. The remarks signal renewed diplomatic friction between New Delhi and Beijing over territorial claims and connectivity projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China’s actions in the area were legitimate.
“The territory you mentioned belongs to China. It’s fully justified for China to conduct infrastructure construction on its own territory,” Mao said when asked about border issues and CPEC-related activity.
Her comments came days after India strongly objected to China-backed projects in the Shaksgam Valley, describing them as illegal.
China cites 1960s border pact, calls CPEC a development project
Mao said China and Pakistan had signed a boundary agreement in the 1960s, with borders demarcated as an exercise of sovereign rights by both countries. Referring to CPEC, she described it as an economic cooperation initiative aimed at promoting local development and improving livelihoods.
According to a report in Global Times, Mao stressed that neither the China-Pakistan boundary agreement nor CPEC alters Beijing’s stated position on the Kashmir issue, adding that China’s stance remains unchanged.
The Shaksgam Valley, located north of Jammu and Kashmir, borders China’s Xinjiang region to the north and the Siachen Glacier area to the east.
India reiterates Shaksgam Valley is its territory
Earlier this month, India rejected China’s infrastructure activity in the Shaksgam Valley, calling it “illegal and invalid” and asserting that the region is an integral part of the country.
At a weekly briefing on January 9, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi has never recognised the 1963 China-Pakistan boundary agreement or the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
“Shaksgam Valley is an Indian territory. We have never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963. We do not recognise the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor either, which passes through Indian territory under the forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan,” Jaiswal said.
He added that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India, and that New Delhi has consistently conveyed this position to both China and Pakistan.
“We further reserve the right to take necessary measures to safeguard our interests,” the MEA spokesperson said.