Move on J&K not aimed at making territorial claims: India tells China

Beijing, Aug 13: India has told China that its recent decisions on Jammu and Kashmir were not aimed at making any territorial claims along its disputed boundary.

The assurance comes in the wake of China suggesting that the decision to end special status to Jammu and Kashmir would change the status quo of the disputed area and would lead to regional tensions.

Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar, however, conveyed to his counterpart, Wang Yi that New Delhi's decision on special status and also the reorganising of the state into two Union Territories had no implication for India's external boundaries and its de-facto border with China. The decision also has no impact on India's Line of Control or the de-facto border with China.

Wang told Jaishankar that Beijing perceived these decisions as a move by India to strengthen its claim not only on areas of Kashmir under the occupation of Pakistan but also on the 5,183 sq. km areas of Pakistan ceded to China in 1963 and on Aksai Chin, which is a disputed territory between India and China.

Last Friday, Wang had hosted Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. During the meeting, Beijing said that the issue relating to J&K should be resolved peacefully and in a proper manner based on the United Nations charter. India has maintained that neither the UN not any third party has any role in resolving the bilateral dispute.