India rejects Chinese projects in Shaksgam Valley, calls area 'Indian territory'

India rejects China’s Shaksgam projects

India on Friday firmly opposed Chinese infrastructure activity in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Shaksgam Valley, reiterating that the region belongs to India and condemning any attempt to change facts on the ground.

At a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal underlined New Delhi’s long-standing position on the disputed territory.

“Shaksgam valley is Indian territory. We have never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan ‘Boundary Agreement’ signed in 1963. We have consistently maintained that the agreement is illegal and invalid,” Jaiswal said.

India reiterates stand on CPEC and territorial integrity

Jaiswal also reaffirmed that India does not recognise the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through areas New Delhi considers illegally occupied by Pakistan.

“We also do not recognise the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which passes through Indian territory that is under forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan,” he added.

He further stressed India’s sovereignty over the region, saying: “The entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India. This has been clearly conveyed to Pakistani and Chinese authorities several times.”

Warning against changing ground realities

The MEA said India has repeatedly lodged protests with China over actions aimed at altering the status quo in Shaksgam Valley.

“We further reserve the right to take necessary measures to safeguard our interests,” Jaiswal said.

Reports of Chinese road construction

India’s response follows reports that China is building a long all-weather road in Shaksgam Valley, north of the Siachen Glacier, a strategically critical area for Indian forces, sources told News18.

According to the sources, around 75 kilometres of the road — believed to be approximately 10 metres wide — has already been completed, with construction continuing at pace.

A report published by The Print in January claimed that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had earlier constructed a 36-kilometre stretch of the road. “Satellite images show that this new road is linked to two Chinese military posts outside Shaksgam Valley. One of the posts is thought to be the headquarters of the PLA unit operating in the area,” the report said.

Why Shaksgam Valley matters

Shaksgam Valley spans around 5,400 sq km and borders China’s Xinjiang province to the north and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to the south and west. It was ceded by Pakistan to China under a 1963 border agreement, a transfer India does not recognise, maintaining that the valley is part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.