The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday rejected the reference to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement issued after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Pakistan. In the joint statement on Sunday, Beijing reaffirmed its support for Islamabad in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and national dignity.

“We reject the reference to Jammu and Kashmir in the Joint Statement issued by China and Pakistan after the recent visit of Chinese Foreign Minister,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. “Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.”

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India has repeatedly raised concerns with China and Pakistan on projects “in so-called “China Pakistan Economic Corridor”, which is in the territory of India that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1947”. “India is resolutely opposed to any actions by other countries to change the status quo in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. We call on the parties concerned to cease such actions,” the ministry said.

On Sunday, Beijing said it was following the situation in Jammu and Kashmir closely and opposed any unilateral actions that would complicate matters. It also called for the conflict in Kashmir to be resolved peacefully on the basis of United Nations Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.

India’s statement came hours before New Delhi and Islamabad were expected to talk on Monday about Jammu and Kashmir at the ongoing United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Switzerland. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who will lead the delegation from Islamabad, said on Monday that the country would “speak definitively” at the session on “continued Indian atrocities in Kashmir”.

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