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Why India Rejected China-Pakistan Joint Statement

Chinese media and Pakistan have reacted to India's statement.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during their meeting in Beijing on March 19, 2019.
STR via Getty Images
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during their meeting in Beijing on March 19, 2019.

India has rejected the reference made to Jammu and Kashmir in a China-Pakistan joint statement and reiterated its position on CPEC.

“The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India and we expect the parties concerned to not to interfere in matters that are internal affairs of India,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.

On CPEC, the MEA spokesperson said India has repeatedly conveyed its concerns to both China and to Pakistan on the projects in “so called China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which are in the territory of India that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan”.

“We resolutely oppose actions by other countries that change the status quo in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir and call on the parties concerned to cease such actions,” he said.

A joint press release issued after talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Frsaid that Pakistan briefed China on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, including its concerns, position and current urgent issues.

“The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a dispute left over from history between India and Pakistan, which is an objective fact, and that the dispute should be resolved peacefully and properly through the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation,” it added.

On CPEC, the press release said that both sides reaffirmed the principle of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in building CPEC. It added that the two countries also welcomed the international community to join in the CPEC construction on the basis of consensus to achieve shared development.

Reaction from Pakistan and Chinese media

Pakistan on Sunday strongly rejected India’s statement on the joint press release.

Journalist Geeta Mohan tweeted a copy of Pakistan’s response:

China’s state-run Global Times also published an op-ed on Sunday saying that Beijing “will not abandon the CPEC just because of India’s opposition”. “On the contrary, China will keep promoting it. Given China’s strong national strength as well as its comprehensive cooperation with Pakistan, India can hardly hinder the CPEC’s development,” it added.

(With PTI inputs)

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