The Ministry of External Affairs, on Tuesday, 10 September, rejected a Jammu and Kashmir reference made in a joint statement issued by China and Pakistan, after the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Pakistan.
"We reject the reference to Jammu & Kashmir in the Joint Statement issued by China and Pakistan after the recent visit of Chinese Foreign Minister. J&K is an integral part of India,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
Pakistan and China had, on Sunday, 8 September, discussed the Kashmir issue and underlined the need to settle disputes in the region through dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and equality, as Beijing reaffirmed its support for its all-weather ally in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Wang's visit to Pakistan took place amidst fresh Indo-Pak tensions after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status on 5 August.
The two sides underlined that a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous South Asia is in the common interest of all parties.
“Parties need to settle disputes and issues in the region through dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and equality.”China-Pakistan Joint Statement
Pakistan and China exchanged views on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation, including its concerns, position, and "urgent humanitarian issues".
“The Chinese side responded that it was paying close attention to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir and reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a dispute left from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation,” according to the statement.
India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was an internal matter of the country and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality.
During his visit to Beijing last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told his Chinese counterpart Wang that the legislation passed by the Indian Parliament on Jammu and Kashmir was an internal matter for India.
According to the joint press statement, Beijing reaffirmed its support for Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and national dignity, in choosing its development path in light of its national conditions, in working for a better external security environment, and in playing a more constructive role in regional and international issues.
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