New Delhi, Sept. 16 -- India, on Wednesday, unequivocally rejected the 'so-called' Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission, arguing that there is no legally established boundary between Pakistan and China in respect of territories belonging to India. The stern diplomatic reaction came just days after the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, wherein Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met to bring a long-term perspective to India-China relations.
Responding to queries regarding this matter, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said that India's stand on the matter is "clear and consistent," rejecting the joint mechanism as a 'baseless' move. Further, he added that Pakistan did not have any locus standi to make such an arrangement with China over territories that are illegally and forcibly occupied by Pakistan.
Jaiswal stressed that all of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh "have been, are and will always remain" integral and inalienable parts of India. At the same time, he noted the consistent stance of New Delhi with respect to the China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, which it had never recognised as a legal and valid one.
The China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement was signed by China and Pakistan in 1963, and the matter concerns territory in the northern areas of Jammu and Kashmir that was illegally occupied by Pakistan. The Indian government believes that Pakistan cannot conduct any territorial negotiations related to its own territory that it illegally occupies.
The timing of the latest statement gains much significance since India and China have been trying to normalise their bilateral relations lately. This is evident from the discussion between Modi and Xi at the BRICS summit concerning the future course of action regarding India-China relations as well as their plans to bolster trade relations and enhance people-to-people contact.
Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that the latest statement of the Ministry of External Affairs does not imply that India is compromising its stance on sovereignty and territorial integrity with regard to the latest attempt at improving India-China relations. India has persistently opposed the Chinese activities in areas of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan, especially in connection with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Furthermore, the problem should also be examined in light of the growing strategic partnership between China and Pakistan. Both countries refer to their relationship as an 'all-weather' one, which is characterised by collaboration in defence, infrastructure, connectivity, commerce, technology and diplomacy. China is still one of Pakistan's key strategic and economic partners and the two countries have been implementing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and other connectivity initiatives.
At the same time, for India, any collaboration between China and Pakistan that involves the territories claimed by New Delhi poses a threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The CPEC was consistently rejected by India because part of sincethrough the Pakistani-occupied territories of Jammu and Kashmir.
Further, Jaiswal added that India firmly opposes any attempt to change the status of these regions or legitimise the occupation it believes is illegal. Any cooperation between China and Pakistan on the borders of these Indian regions, he added, would be "completely unacceptable" to India and would not affect its sovereignty over these territories. Additionally, the MEA spokesperson urged Pakistan to withdraw from those regions that are under its "illegal and forcible occupation," showing that while India has made efforts to stabilise its relationship with China and even joined regional forums like BRICS, territorial sovereignty is an essential part of its foreign policy.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.