Says China has no locus standi on J&K
Staff reporter / New Delhi
India on Wednesday said China has no locus standi on Jammu and Kashmir and advised it to not comment on the internal affairs of other nations. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said this in response to a media query on Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s recent comment on Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier China contended that India’s “unilateral” changes to the status of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir were illegal and invalid.
As the Pakistan government observed Yaum-e-Istehsal or a “day of exploitation” to protest India’s decision last year to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and split it into two union territories, Beijing had also called on New Delhi and Islamabad to resolve the dispute over Kashmir through dialogue and consultations.
India’s decision on August 5 last year had triggered a strong response from China, mainly because it believed the move would affect its territorial claims in Ladakh region.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava responded to Wang’s remarks through a brief statement: “We have noted the comments of the Chinese MFA spokesperson on the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese side has no locus standi whatsoever on this matter and is advised not to comment on the internal affairs of other nations.”
Wednesday’s developments also came against the backdrop of the months-long India-China border standoff in Ladakh, which has taken bilateral relations to a new low. India has accused China of failing to deliver on commitments to withdraw its troops from friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and asked it to sincerely implement measures for disengagement and de-escalation.
Wang described Pakistan and India as neighbours who “cannot be moved away”. He said China hopes the two sides can properly handle differences through dialogue, improve relations and jointly safeguard peace, security and development of both countries and the wider region.
“Coexistence serves the fundamental interests of both and the common aspiration of the international community,” Wang added.