China on Monday reiterated its territorial claims over the Shaksgam Valley, responding sharply to India’s recent objections by asserting that Chinese infrastructure projects in the region are fully justified and beyond question. Beijing’s remarks came days after India publicly criticised China’s construction activities in the area and reaffirmed that it considers the Shaksgam Valley to be part of its sovereign territory.
India had last Friday raised strong objections to China’s infrastructure development in the Shaksgam Valley, stating that the region is Indian territory and that New Delhi reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its interests. Indian officials have consistently maintained that any activity carried out there without India’s consent is illegal and unacceptable.
The Shaksgam Valley, covering about 5,180 square kilometres, was illegally ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963 from parts of Indian territory that were under Pakistan’s unlawful occupation. India has repeatedly rejected the validity of this transfer and has never recognised the so-called boundary agreement signed between China and Pakistan.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India’s position, stating that the Shaksgam Valley is an integral part of India. He said India has never accepted the 1963 China-Pakistan agreement and has consistently described it as illegal and invalid. He also underlined that New Delhi does not recognise the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, as it passes through Indian territory that remains under Pakistan’s forcible and illegal occupation.
Responding to these remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing in Beijing that the territory referred to by India is part of China’s sovereign territory. She asserted that China’s infrastructure activities are being carried out within its own borders and therefore cannot be questioned.
Mao further said that China and Pakistan had signed a border agreement in the 1960s that defined the boundary between the two countries, describing this as a legitimate exercise of their rights as sovereign states. On India’s criticism of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, she repeated China’s long-standing position that the project is purely an economic initiative aimed at promoting regional development, improving livelihoods, and boosting social and economic growth.
She added that agreements between China and Pakistan, including CPEC, do not alter Beijing’s position on the Kashmir issue. According to Mao, China’s stance remains unchanged, with Beijing continuing to describe Jammu and Kashmir as a dispute left over from history that should be resolved peacefully in line with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and bilateral agreements.
In response, Jaiswal reaffirmed India’s position that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India. He said this stance has been conveyed clearly and repeatedly to both Pakistani and Chinese authorities, underscoring New Delhi’s consistent opposition to any third-party claims or activities in these regions.
