India rejects reference to Jammu and Kashmir in China-Pakistan joint statement

In their second annual strategic dialogue on August 21, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed the Kashmir issue and progress.

Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava during a media briefing, in New Delhi. File

India on August 22 categorically rejected the reference made to Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement issued by Pakistan and China after talks between Foreign Ministers of the two countries .

Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava said the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an “integral and inalienable” part of India and that it expects the parties concerned not to interfere in the country’s internal matters.

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“As in the past, we categorically reject the reference to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir in the joint press release of the 2nd Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ strategic dialogue,” he said.

In their second annual strategic dialogue on August 21, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed the Kashmir issue and progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor among a host of other issues.

In his reaction, Mr. Srivastava reiterated India’s consistent position on the so-called “China Pakistan Economic Corridor”.

“India has repeatedly conveyed its concerns to both China and Pakistan on the projects in so-called China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which are in the territory of India that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan,” he said.

“We resolutely oppose actions by other countries that change the status quo in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and call on the parties concerned to cease such actions,” Mr. Srivastava added.

A joint statement issued after the Wang-Qureshi talks said the Pakistani side briefed the Chinese delegation on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, including its concerns, position and current urgent issues. “The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a dispute left over from history between India and Pakistan, which is an objective fact, and that the dispute should be resolved peacefully and properly through the U.N. Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation,” it said.