India Accuses China of Illegal Occupation in Kashmir and Ladakh
New Delhi: India has accused China of illegally occupying Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, even as it maintains that it does not violate Beijing's sovereignty. The assertion came days after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Manila on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings.
In a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'India does not violate China's sovereignty in any manner and has been consistent. But China has been in illegal occupation of Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh since 1963, where India's right is officially acknowledged even by China.' He added that India objects to Chinese projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which New Delhi considers its own territory.
The comment was in response to a Chinese readout of the Jaishankar-Wang meeting that quoted the Indian minister as saying India respects China's sovereignty on issues concerning Taiwan and Tibet. India follows a one-China policy but has not publicly articulated it since 2010. The Indian readout of the meeting did not mention Taiwan or Tibet.
During the meeting, Jaishankar stressed the need to address bilateral trade imbalance, fair market access, and reliable supply chains. He also underlined that border peace and tranquility remain a prerequisite for normalising bilateral ties.
Wang Yi said China will support India in hosting a successful BRICS summit this year. Indian officials expect Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the summit in September, which would be his first visit to India since 2019.
