India on Tuesday strongly rejected references to Jammu & Kashmir made in the joint statement issued by China and Pakistan, saying the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India.”
Responding to media queries, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “India categorically rejects unwarranted references to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir in the Joint Statement between China and Pakistan.”
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The MEA said India's position on Jammu & Kashmir is “consistent and well known” to both countries. “No other country has the locus standi to comment on the same,” Jaiswal added.
India also objected to references related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), parts of which pass through territory claimed by India.
The MEA said it “resolutely oppose[s] and reject[s] any moves by other countries to reinforce or legitimise Pakistan's illegal and forcible occupation” of Indian territory.
The ministry further criticised references to “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,” the statement said. India also reiterated that it has “never recognized the so-called 1963 boundary agreement between Pakistan and China.”
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Earlier in the day, China and Pakistan issued a joint statement after high-level talks. The statement said Pakistan briefed China on the “latest developments” in Jammu and Kashmir, while China reiterated that the issue is “left over from history” and should be resolved peacefully in line with the UN Charter, UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.
The joint statement also mentioned cooperation on counter-terrorism, artificial intelligence, regional stability and trans-boundary water resources.
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