China calls move unlawful, India says it’s internal matter
BEIJING: China on Thursday lashed out at India for changing the status of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, calling the reorganisation of the former state into two separate union territories (UT) “unlawful and void”.
India’s response was swift. “The matter of reorganization of the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir into the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is entirely an internal affair of India. We do not expect other countries, including China, to comment on matters which are internal to India, just as India refrains from commenting on internal issues of other countries. The Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral part of India. We expect other countries to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a statement read out by a spokesperson for India’s ministry of external affairs in Delhi said.
China continues to be in occupation of a large tract of area in the UTS of J&K and Ladakh. It has also illegally acquired Indian territories from Pakistan-occupiedkashmir (POK) under the so-called China-pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, the statement went on to add.
In Beijing, China said India’s move violated Chinese sovereignty but will also not change the situation on the ground as part of the area in the former state remains under Chinese control.
“The Indian government officially announced the establishment of so-called J&K UT and
Ladakh UT which included some of China’s territory into its administrative jurisdiction,” foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
“China deplores and firmly opposes that (move). India unilaterally changes its domestic laws and administrative divisions challenging China’s sovereignty. This is unlawful and void and this is not effective in any way and will not change the fact that the area is under Chinese actual control,” Geng added. “China urges the Indian side to earnestly respect Chinese territorial sovereignty, abide by our treaties and uphold peace and tranquility in the border areas and create favourable conditions for the proper settlement of boundary question,” he said. Geng was referring to the disputed territory of Aksai Chin, which China controls but New Delhi claims as part of the new UT of Ladakh.
China had reacted similarly on August 6, a day after New Delhi had announced the decision to revoke Article 370, calling the move “unacceptable”.
India had then rejected Beijing’s criticism, saying the proposal to form new UTS including that of Ladakh was an “internal matter”.
On Thursday, Geng also brought up Kashmir, saying it is a “…dispute left from history and it should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN charter, the relevant UNSC (UN Security Council) resolutions and other bilateral treaties and relevant side should resolve dispute through dialogue and consultations and uphold regional peace and stability.”
On a separate question about “trust deficit” between India and China compared to close ties between China and Pakistan, Geng said New Delhi and Beijing were working at various levels for “greater” mutual understanding and trust.