India has strongly rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir made in a recent joint statement issued by China and Pakistan, asserting that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are “integral and inalienable” parts of India. 

The sharp response from New Delhi came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Beijing, where China and Pakistan released a joint statement discussing Kashmir, regional cooperation and expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

India’s Ministry of External Affairs criticised what it called “unwarranted references” to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint declaration and reiterated that no foreign country has the right to comment on India’s internal matters. 

The MEA also renewed India’s opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, stating that several CPEC projects pass through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which India considers its sovereign territory illegally occupied by Pakistan. India described any attempt to legitimise such projects as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

The controversy has once again highlighted the growing strategic alignment between China and Pakistan on regional issues involving Kashmir. In the joint statement, China reportedly referred to the Kashmir issue as one “left over from history” and called for its peaceful resolution under the framework of the United Nations Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions. 

India also objected to references regarding “trans-boundary water resources cooperation” between China and Pakistan. Indian officials pointed out that China and Pakistan do not directly share borders in the concerned region without crossing territory claimed by India, making such cooperation politically sensitive. 

The latest diplomatic exchange reflects continuing tensions over CPEC, Beijing’s flagship infrastructure initiative connecting western China to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port. India has consistently opposed the corridor because portions of the project pass through Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 

Analysts say the joint statement underlines China’s continued willingness to back Pakistan diplomatically on Kashmir despite worsening India-China relations in recent years. Observers also note that Beijing’s support comes at a time when Pakistan is becoming increasingly dependent on Chinese economic and strategic assistance amid domestic financial instability.

The episode is expected to further complicate already strained India-China-Pakistan relations, particularly as regional tensions continue over border disputes, infrastructure projects and strategic influence in South Asia. 

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