India has categorically rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in a recent joint statement issued by China and Pakistan on 7th June. Responding to media queries, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said  Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are, and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. He added that no other country has the ‘locus standi’ to comment on the issue.

The spokesperson said the same joint statement also mentions activities and projects under the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), some of which are in India’s sovereign territory under forcible and illegal occupation by Pakistan. He stated that India resolutely opposes and rejects any moves by other countries to reinforce or legitimise Pakistan’s illegal occupation of these territories, impinging on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.