New Delhi: India has strongly rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in a recent China Pakistan joint statement, after Beijing backed Islamabad’s position and called for the issue to be addressed under the United Nations Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions. The development has once again brought the China Pakistan diplomatic axis under focus at a time when New Delhi has repeatedly said that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India.
According to the report, China supported Pakistan’s position in the joint statement and referred to developments related to Jammu and Kashmir. Beijing’s position directly conflicts with India’s long standing stand that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, and that no third country has any role in the matter.
The Ministry of External Affairs responded sharply to the statement. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s position is consistent and well known to the concerned parties. He stated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. He also said no other country has the right to comment on the matter.
India also reiterated its objection to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. New Delhi has maintained that parts of the CPEC pass through territory that belongs to India but is under Pakistan’s illegal occupation. The MEA said India firmly opposes any attempt by other countries to strengthen or legitimise Pakistan’s illegal and forcible occupation of such areas, as it violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The report also referred to the Shaksgam Valley, noting India’s position that Pakistan had illegally handed over 5,180 square kilometres of territory to China in 1963. New Delhi has never accepted that arrangement and has consistently viewed the area as part of the broader Jammu and Kashmir dispute linked to India’s sovereignty.
The latest diplomatic exchange has added fresh strain to India China ties, which have already remained sensitive after the Galwan clash and continuing border tensions. While Beijing publicly speaks of stability and improved relations with New Delhi, its continued support for Pakistan on Kashmir and CPEC keeps mistrust alive.
For India, the message remains clear. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are non negotiable parts of the country, and any external attempt to internationalise the issue will be rejected. The latest statement from China and Pakistan is therefore likely to deepen strategic concerns in New Delhi.