NEW DELHI: India said on Thursday that it has lodged a protest with China over “illegal attempts to alter facts on the ground” in the occupied territory of Shaksgam Valley by carrying out the construction of roads and other infrastructure.
The development comes against the backdrop of the dragging India-China military standoff in Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which has taken bilateral relations to a six-decade low. The standoff began almost four years ago and the Indian side has said bilateral ties cannot be normalised without the restoration of peace and tranquillity on the LAC.
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Asked about fresh construction activity by the Chinese side in Shaksgam Valley, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has “never accepted the so-called China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963 through which Pakistan unlawfully attempted to cede the area to China”.
He added: “We have registered our protest with the Chinese side against illegal attempts to alter facts on the ground. We further reserve the right to take necessary measures to safeguard our interests.”
Shaksgam Valley is part of the territory of India and the country has consistently conveyed its rejection of the China Pakistan Boundary Agreement. “This is a vexed issue. We have stated our position very clearly as to how we see developments in that part.Shaksgam Valley is our territory and we have been protesting as and when required,” Jaiswal said.
The Shaksgam Tract, which includes the Shaksgam Valley, is an area of 5,200 sq km north of the Karakoram watershed that has been illegally occupied by China since 1963. It was earlier occupied by Pakistan since 1947. Shaksgam Valley is claimed by India as part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Recent satellite images have suggested that the Chinese side has built a road that has entered the lower part of the Shaksgam Valley, and has reached a location less than 50 km from the Siachen glacier, which is held by India. Work on the road began in the summer of 2023 and much of the basic construction was completed late last year. The Chinese side carried out further construction work this month.
Responding to a separate question on the status of India-China ties, Jaiswal said the Indian side has made its point very clear on this issue. While there are ongoing talks at the diplomatic and military levels to tackle the standoff on the LAC, “these are serious issues and therefore they take time”, he said.
