• Source:JND

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has categorically rejected the joint statement issued by China and Pakistan on Jammu and Kashmir and CPEC.

Calling reference of Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement unwarranted, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal categorically rejected it.

In a statement, the MEA said, "India's position is consistent and well known to the concerned parties. The Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has the locus standi to comment on the same."

Speaking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, the MEA said that some of it falls in India's sovereign territory and so India "resolutely oppose and reject any moves by other countries to reinforce or legitimise Pakistan's illegal and forcible occupation of these territories, impinging on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

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"This has been clearly conveyed to Pakistani and Chinese authorities several times," the MEA stated.

The MEA also rejected the existence of any border between Pakistan and China, while reacting to "trans-boundary water resources cooperation" in the China-Pakistan joint statement.

MEA said, "We have also seen references to the so-called '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. India has never recognised the so-called 1963 boundary agreement between Pakistan and China."

What did China and Pakistan say?

The MEA's reaction came against a joint statement by China and Pakistan, which described the Kashmir issue as a historical legacy and called for its resolution through peaceful means within the framework of the UN Security Council (UNSC).

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Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif embarked on a four-day visit to China, and following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he, on May 25, made several points regarding India.

China reiterated its long-standing position that the dispute should be resolved through a fair and peaceful means, in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.


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