China rejects India’s objections to Shaksgam Valley projects, defends CPEC

China has firmly rejected India’s opposition over infrastructure activity in the Shaksgam valley in Kashmir region and New Delhi’s criticism of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) flagship project.

“First of all, the territory you have mentioned is part of China’s territory and China’s infrastructure development activities in its own territory are beyond reproach,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in response to a question during her regular briefing on Monday.

Mao Ning said that Pakistan and China signed a border agreement and determined the border between the two countries in the 1960s. These are the rights of Pakistan and China as sovereign states.

CPEC, as an economic cooperation initiative, aims to promote local socioeconomic development and improve livelihoods. Such agreements and CPEC will not affect China’s position on Kashmir and China’s position will remain unchanged, she added.

At a media briefing last Friday, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson opposed China’s infrastructure development projects in the Shaksgam Valley.

He also criticised the China-Pakistan ‘boundary agreement’ signed in 1963 and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Read: Pakistan, China agree to align development plans, launch CPEC 2.0

Earlier, Pakistan and China agreed to align their development strategies and build an upgraded version of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, known as CPEC 2.0, during wide-ranging talks in Beijing that also covered political ties, security cooperation and regional and international issues.

The Seventh Round of the Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue was co-chaired in Beijing on January 4 by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who was visiting China from January 3 to January 5 at Wang’s invitation, according to a joint press communiqué issued at the conclusion of the talks.

Read more: Pakistan, China agree to strengthen coordination at bilateral, multilateral forums

As part of their economic engagement, Pakistan and China agreed to develop an upgraded CPEC, a pioneering project of the Belt and Road Initiative. The two sides said the new phase would focus on the key sectors of industry, agriculture and mining, promote the building and operation of Gwadar Port, ensure the smooth passage of the Karakoram Highway, and enhance Pakistan’s capacity for sustainable development.

The next round of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue will be held in Islamabad next year on mutually convenient dates, the communiqué said.