Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday rejected India’s claims over the Shaksgam Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, stating that the region “belongs to China” and asserting Beijing’s right to carry out infrastructure projects there.
“The territory you mentioned belongs to China. It's fully justified for China to conduct infrastructure construction on its own territory,” Mao said in response to questions regarding border issues and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Mao highlighted that China and Pakistan had signed a boundary agreement in the 1960s, which demarcated the borders between the two countries, calling it an exercise of the rights of two sovereign states. She added that the CPEC is an economic cooperation initiative aimed at boosting local development and improving livelihoods. Mao further clarified that the border agreement and the CPEC do not affect China’s stance on the Kashmir issue, emphasizing that “China's position on this matter has not changed,” according to a report by Global Times.
Geographically, the Shaksgam Valley borders China’s Xinjiang Province to the north, the Northern Areas of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) to the south and west, and the Siachen Glacier region to the east.
India, however, has strongly rejected China’s infrastructure activities in the Shaksgam Valley. On January 9, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed the CPEC projects in the region “illegal and invalid” and reaffirmed that the area is an “integral and inalienable part” of India.
During a weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India’s position, stating, “Shaksgam Valley is an Indian territory. We have never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963. We have consistently maintained that the agreement is illegal and invalid. We do not recognise the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor either, which passes through Indian territory, which is under forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan.”
He further emphasized India’s claim over the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, saying, “The entire UTs of J&K and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India. This has been clearly conveyed to the Chinese and Pakistani authorities several times. We have consistently protested with the Chinese side for its attempts to alter the ground reality in the Shaksgam Valley. We further reserve the right to take necessary measures to safeguard our interests.”