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The Indian government on Friday firmly rejected China's infrastructure buildup through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the Shaksgam Valley, terming it "illegal and invalid", while noting that the region is an "integral and inalienable part" of India.
During a weekly press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India has never recognised the "so-called" China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963 or the "so-called" CPEC. "Shaksgam Valley is an Indian territory. We have never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963. We have consistently maintained that the agreement is illegal and invalid. We do not recognise the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor either, which passes through Indian territory, which is under forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan," Jaiswal said. He reaffirmed that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India, noting that New Delhi has "consistently protested" to the Chinese side on the matter and has further reserved the right to safeguard its interests. "The entire UTs of J&K and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India. This has been clearly conveyed to the Chinese and Pakistani authorities several times. We have consistently protested with the Chinese side for its attempts to alter the ground reality in the Shaksgam Valley. We further reserve the right to take necessary measures to safeguard our interests," the MEA Spokesperson added. The remarks were made in response to reports of China's construction of military infrastructure and roads in the Shaksgam Valley, a trans-Karakoram tract ceded by Pakistan under the terms of the "so-called" 1963 Boundary Agreement. Moreover, the China-Pakistan concert on the boundary in the Karakoram area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (covering a distance of over 590 km) violates India's traditional and legal rights in the region. In the last several years, China has kept up military pressure on India through its incursions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as it strategically plans to make a permanent presence in these areas. India has repeatedly protested Chinese attempts to alter the status quo in the region, particularly regarding territorial issues, underscoring New Delhi's position on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. (ANI)
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