NEW DELHI, Sept 10: India today rejected the reference made to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement issued after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent visit to Islamabad.
“We reject the reference to Jammu & Kashmir in the joint statement issued by China and Pakistan after the recent visit of Chinese foreign minister. J&K is an integral part of India,” Indian External Affairs Ministry’s Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said here.
In response to a query, he said India has consistently expressed concerns to both China and Pakistan on the projects in so-called “China Pakistan Economic Corridor”, which is in the territory of India.
Speaking on issue, the spokesperson said the territory has been “illegally occupied” by Pakistan since 1947, reports BSS.
“India is resolutely opposed to any actions by other countries to change the status quo in Pakistan occupied J&K. We call on the parties concerned to cease such actions,” he said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was on a two-day visit to Pakistan on Saturday and Sunday, had described the relationship between the China and Pakistan as “rock-solid and unbreakable”.
Wang’s visit to Pakistan took place amidst fresh Indo-Pak tensions after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5.
During the visit, Pakistan and China exchanged views on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as the Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation, including its concerns, position, and urgent humanitarian issues, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting.
The Chinese side responded that it was paying close attention to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir and reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a “dispute left from history” and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.
“China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation”, the statement said.
However, India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was an internal matter of the country and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality.