India Lodges Protest With China Over Shaksgam Valley Infrastructure Development

India announced that a protest had been lodged with China regarding "illegal attempts to alter facts on the ground" in the occupied Shaksgam Valley through road construction and other infrastructure activities, on Thursday.

The development occurred amidst the prolonged India-China military standoff in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), leading to a significant downturn in bilateral relations over the past six decades, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Photo Credit: X/ANI

The standoff, which began nearly four years ago, has been marked by the Indian side emphasizing the impossibility of normalizing bilateral relations without restoring peace and tranquillity along the LAC.

Addressing the fresh construction activity by China in the Shaksgam Valley, it was highlighted by external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal that India has "never accepted the so-called China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, through which Pakistan unlawfully attempted to cede the area to China".

Jaiswal emphasized: "Our protest against illegal attempts to alter facts on the ground has been registered with the Chinese side. The reservation of the right to take necessary measures to safeguard our interests is further affirmed," as reported by PTI.

The Shaksgam Valley is part of Indian territory, and India has consistently conveyed its rejection of the China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement. "This is a complex issue. Our position regarding developments in that area has been clearly stated. Shaksgam Valley is our territory, and protests have been made as necessary," Jaiswal reiterated.

The Shaksgam Tract, which includes the Shaksgam Valley, is a region of 5,200 square kilometres north of the Karakoram watershed that has been illegally occupied by China since 1963. It has previously under Pakistan's occupation since 1947. India claims the Shaksgam Valley as part of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Recent satellite imagery suggests that a road has been constructed by China entering the lower part of the Shaksgam Valley, reaching a location less than 50 kilometres from the Siachen glacier, held by India. Construction work on the road commenced in the summer of 2023, with most of the basic construction completed late last year. Further construction activities were conducted by the Chinese side this month.

Responding to a separate inquiry about the status of India-China relations, it was highlighted by Jaiswal that the Indian side has been clear on this matter. Although ongoing diplomatic and military discussions are addressing the standoff on the LAC, Jaiswal emphasized that "these are serious issues and therefore they take time," as per the media report.