India conveys concerns over Chinese presence in PoK

New Delhi, Sep 3 (ANI): India has conveyed its concerns to Beijing on Chinese activities in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

India's Ambassador to China S. Jaishankar met Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Zhang Zhijun in Beijing on Friday.

Jaishankar conveyed New Delhi's concern over the reported presence of Chinese troops in the Gilgit Baltistan region of POK.

Earlier, a New York Times report had carried a story about the presence of an estimated seven to eleven thousand soldiers of the Chinese army in the Gilgit region to get the road and rail access to the Gulf through Pakistan.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash had said on Monday that if the reports are true, it could be a matter of serious concern.

The Chinese side explained that they were present in the Gilgit area to help provide assistance to the people affected by recent floods.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Jiang Yu said yesterday that it was a fabricated story aimed at destroying China's relations with Pakistan and India.

Pakistan's Ambassador to China Masood Khan too denied the report, saying that only a Chinese humanitarian assistance team was present in the area to assist flood victims. (ANI)