ISLAMABAD: The territorial dispute over the Shaksgam Valley in the Kashmirregion has intensified following China’s strong rejection of India’sclaims, with Beijing asserting that the area unequivocally belongs toChina. In a recent press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry SpokespersonMao Ning responded to queries from the Press Trust of India by declaringinfrastructure development in the valley as fully justified on sovereignChinese territory. This development comes shortly after India’s Ministry ofExternal Affairs reiterated its position that the valley forms an integralpart of Indian Jammu and Kashmir, refusing to recognize the 1963China-Pakistan boundary agreement. The exchange highlights persistentgeopolitical frictions involving three nuclear-armed nations andunderscores the strategic significance of the area near sensitive borders.
The roots of the controversy trace back to the 1963 Sino-Pakistani BoundaryAgreement, under which Pakistan ceded approximately 5,180 square kilometersof the Shaksgam Valley, also known as the Trans-Karakoram Tract, to China.India has consistently maintained that this transfer was illegal andinvalid, as the territory was part of the princely state of Jammu andKashmir that acceded to India in 1947. New Delhi views the cession as anunauthorized act on land under Pakistan’s illegal occupation since 1947-48.This historical context fuels ongoing protests from India against anyactivities that alter the ground reality in the region, including recentChinese infrastructure initiatives.
Strategic analysts point to the valley’s critical location as a key factorin the heightened tensions. Situated in the eastern Karakoram range, theShaksgam Valley borders China’s Xinjiang Province to the north,Pakistan-occupied areas to the south and west, and lies in close proximityto the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield held by Indianforces. Control over this tract provides vantage points for monitoringmovements along the Line of Actual Control with China and the Line ofControl with Pakistan. Reports indicate China has accelerated constructionof all-weather roads and other facilities in recent years, raising concernsin New Delhi about potential military implications near vital Indianpositions.
India’s response has been firm and consistent. On January 9, ExternalAffairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that the entireUnion Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh remain integral andinalienable parts of India. He explicitly rejected both the 1963 boundaryagreement and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagshipproject of China’s Belt and Road Initiative that traverses disputedterritory. Jaiswal noted repeated communications to Pakistani and Chineseauthorities conveying this stance, while reserving the right to takenecessary measures to protect national interests against attempts to changefacts on the ground in Shaksgam Valley.
In countering these assertions, Mao Ning underscored the legitimacy of the1960s boundary demarcation as a sovereign decision between China andPakistan. She described infrastructure construction as an internal matterbeyond external reproach, aimed at legitimate development within China’sborders. Regarding CPEC, the spokesperson framed it as a purely economiccooperation initiative designed to foster socio-economic progress andenhance livelihoods in participating regions. Importantly, she clarifiedthat neither the boundary agreement nor CPEC impacts China’s longstandingposition on the broader Kashmir issue, which Beijing maintains should beresolved peacefully per UN Charter principles, relevant Security Councilresolutions, and bilateral accords.
The dispute reflects deeper triangular dynamics in South Asia, whereChina’s growing economic and strategic footprint through CPEC intersectswith India’s territorial integrity concerns. CPEC, linking Xinjiang toPakistan’s Gwadar port via roads, railways, and energy projects, representsbillions in investments but passes through areas India claims. Beijing’sreaffirmation of its stance on Shaksgam appears to signal unwaveringsupport for its alliance with Pakistan while dismissing Indian objections.This posture has prompted renewed scrutiny of how such developments couldaffect regional stability amid ongoing India-China border frictionselsewhere along the Line of Actual Control.
Observers note that the timing of these statements coincides with broadergeopolitical shifts, including efforts to expand CPEC phases andinfrastructure in contested zones. India’s protests against groundalterations in Shaksgam echo similar concerns over Aksai Chin and otherdisputed areas. While diplomatic channels remain open, the public exchangesillustrate limited convergence on historical claims and sovereignty. Thevalley’s rugged terrain and high altitude make on-ground verificationchallenging, yet satellite imagery has occasionally revealed expandedChinese presence, intensifying strategic anxieties in New Delhi.
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The latest diplomatic volley underscores the enduring complexity of theKashmir question, now entangled with China-Pakistan ties. As infrastructureprojects proceed, the risk of miscalculation persists in this sensitiveHimalayan theater. Both sides have expressed commitment to peacefulresolution mechanisms, yet assertive positions suggest prolongedcontention. The international community continues to watch closely, giventhe potential implications for South Asian security and great-powercompetition in the region.
Source:https://www.dawn.com/news/1966730/china-rejects-indias-claim-over-shaksgam-valley-in-kashmir-asserts-territory-belongs-to-beijing
Tags: China, India, Pakistan, Shaksgam Valley, CPEC
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