India’s sharp response to the Chinese-Pakistani statement issued after the meeting of President XI Jinping and PM Imran Khan which contains many references to CPEC, BRI’s leading project that passes POK
New Delhi: India on Wednesday rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir and the economic corridor that passed the Kashmir occupied by Pakistan (POK) in a statement with China-Pakistan and asked the two countries not to interfere in Indian internal affairs or to change status. Quo in the area occupied illegally by Pakistan.
Responses from India came three days after China and Pakistan issued a joint statement after a meeting between President XI Jinping and Prime Minister Imran Khan in Beijing on February 6. China opposed what he said was “unilateral action” in Jammu and Kashmir – a real reference for the decision of 2019 India to memo specific status of the region.
The joint statement contains many references to China-Pakistan (CPEC) economic corridors, a superior project from the belt and the Beijing road (BRI) initiative that passes POK. India has not registered for BRI and consistently opposed CPEC.
Pointing on the reference to Jammu and Kashmir and CPE in a statement with China-Pakistan, spokesman for the external affairs Arinindam Bagchi said: “We always reject references like that and our position is famous for China and Pakistan.”
He added, “In this case, we reject references to Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement. Union in Jammu and Kashmir and the Ladakh area are and will always be an integral part and cannot be revoked from India. We hope the parties are concerned not to interfere in things that are Indian internal affairs. “
Bagchi further said India has “consistently expressed our concerns to China and Pakistan on projects in the so-called CPEC, which is in the Indian region that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan”.
He added, “We firmly opposed every effort to change the status of quo by other countries, as well as by Pakistan, in the area under the Illegal Occupation of Pakistan. We called the parties concerned to stop the activity.”
A joint statement said the Pakistani party briefed the Chinese to the latest developments in Jammu and Kashmir, “including problems, positions, and urgent problems”.
The statement added, “The Chinese stressed that Kashmir’s problem was the remaining dispute from history, and must be resolved properly and peacefully based on the United Nations Charter, the relevant security council resolution and bilateral agreement. China opposed unilateral acts that made it difficult for the situation.”
This is a position taken by China since India ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 and divided the area into two union regions. India always rejects China’s position on this issue in interference in the country’s internal problems.
Joint statements have quoted Khan by saying that CPEC has “contributed significantly to Pakistani economic and social development” and the two countries have recognized project contributions included in the corridor in strengthening the role of Pakistan in regional connectivity.
XI and Khan have reaffirmed their commitment to “ensuring the smooth operation of projects completed and completion of the project that is on time in construction”. Both parties say they will protect the CPE from “all threats and negative propaganda” and also ask third parties to invest in the corridor.