As India explores venues, China opposes plan on G20 meet in JK

As India reiterated on Thursday it's exploring various venues for hosting G20 meetings, China voiced its opposition to the reported plan on hosting G20 leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. Echoing Pakistan's objection, China underlined that relevant sides should avoid "politicising" the issue.

"We have noted relevant information," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Beijing on Thursday while replying to a question from the official media.

"China's position on Kashmir is consistent and clear cut. It is a legacy issue between India and Pakistan. It should be properly resolved in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and bilateral agreements," Zhao said.

He said the "relevant parties should avoid complicating the situation with the unilateral move. We need to address the disputes through dialogue and consultation and jointly uphold peace and stability."

Stating that G-20 is a premier forum for international economic cooperation, Zhao said "we call on relevant sides to focus on economic recovery and avoid politicising the relevant issue so as to make a positive contribution to improving the global economic governance".

Asked whether China, a member of G-20, would attend the meeting, he said, "whether we attend the meeting, we will look into that."

To another question that China is building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in the disputed region in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and India's objections over it, Zhao said "the two matters are completely different in nature. China has undertaken projects to help Pakistan to grow its economy and improve livelihoods."

"Some of those projects are in the Kashmir part that is under the control of Pakistan. Relevant Chinese companies who run the projects do so with the aim of helping the local people to develop the economy and improve their livelihoods," he said.

"That doesn't mean our position on Kashmir has changed," he said.

On June 25, Pakistan said it rejected India's attempt to hold a meeting of G20 countries in Kashmir, hoping that members of the grouping will be fully cognisant of the imperatives of law and justice and would oppose the proposal outright.

J&K will be hosting the 2023 meetings of G20 with the union territory administration last Thursday setting up a five-member committee for overall coordination.