,China has rejected India’s claim,Shaksgam is Chinese territory .China

China has rejected India’s Ministry of External Affairs’ claim regarding the Shaksgam Valley, stating that Shaksgam is Chinese territory.

During a press conference on Monday, when Press Trust of India asked about India’s criticism of China’s infrastructure projects in the Shaksgam Valley, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China has every right to carry out construction activities on its own territory.

She stated that the area being referred to is part of China.

It is worth noting that on Friday, a spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that the Shaksgam Valley is Indian territory and that New Delhi reserves the right to take necessary measures to protect its interests.

At the press conference, the Indian spokesperson said that India has never recognized the so-called 1963 China-Pakistan boundary agreement and considers the agreement illegal and invalid.

The Indian spokesperson also said that New Delhi does not recognize the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He stated that all Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India, and that this position has been clearly conveyed to Pakistani and Chinese authorities multiple times.

He further said that India has consistently protested against what it describes as Chinese attempts to alter ground realities in the Shaksgam Valley.

In response to the Indian position, Chinese spokesperson Mao Ning said that China and Pakistan signed a boundary agreement in the 1960s and delimited their borders, which is the right of sovereign states.

She said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an economic cooperation project aimed at promoting local socio-economic development and improving the standard of living of the people.

According to Mao Ning, the China-Pakistan boundary agreement and CPEC do not affect China’s position on the Kashmir issue, and China’s stance in this regard remains unchanged.

It is important to recall that India and China have long-standing border disputes. However, in 2024, the two countries reached an important agreement to reduce military tensions along the Himalayan border, where in 2020 clashes resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

Following the 2024 agreement, both countries took steps to improve relations, including the restoration of direct flights and increased investment and trade.

Despite this, disputes between China and India continue over several areas, including Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing refers to as “Zangnan” and considers part of southern Tibet, a claim that India consistently rejects.

Beijing’s renaming of places in this northeastern Himalayan state has also repeatedly drawn strong reactions from New Delhi.