Beijing: Amidst India's objections, China on Monday reiterated its territorial claims over the Shaksgam Valley and said that its infrastructure projects in the area are perfectly legitimate. Last Friday, India criticized China's infrastructure projects in the Shaksgam Valley, stating that it is Indian territory and that India has the right to take necessary steps to protect its interests. Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 square kilometers of the Shaksgam Valley, which is part of Indian territory, to China in 1963.
What India said about the Shaksgam Valley
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "The Shaksgam Valley is Indian territory. We have never recognized the so-called China-Pakistan 'border agreement' of 1963. We have consistently maintained that this agreement is illegal and invalid." He said, "We also do not recognize the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), because..."
China claims Shaksgam Valley as its own
Responding to Jaiswal's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference here, "First of all, the area you are referring to is part of China." She added, "China's infrastructure activities in its own territory are perfectly legitimate." Mao said that China and Pakistan had signed a border agreement in the 1960s and the border between the two countries was demarcated. She said this is the right of China and Pakistan as sovereign countries.
Also responded to India's criticism of CPEC
Regarding India's criticism of CPEC, Mao reiterated Beijing's long-held position, saying it is an economic initiative aimed at promoting local economic and social development and improving people's lives. She said, "Such agreements and CPEC will not affect China's position on the Kashmir issue, and China's position on this matter remains unchanged."
China also spoke on the Kashmir issue
China's official position on the Kashmir issue is that "the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is a long-standing one and should be resolved appropriately and peacefully in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions, and bilateral agreements." China has repeatedly reiterated this position. In response to a question about China's infrastructure projects in the Shaksgam Valley, Jaiswal said, "Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inseparable part of India. This has been clearly conveyed to Pakistani and Chinese officials on several occasions."
