“We Do Not Approve of Any Activity in Shaksgam Valley,” Indian Army Chief Says, Rejecting China’s Claim

India has firmly reiterated its sovereignty claims over the Shaksgam valley, with Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi making it clear that New Delhi does not accept either China's territorial assertions or infrastructure activity in the region.

His remarks come as India and China continue efforts to stabilise border ties, even as core territorial disagreements remain unresolved.

"We do not approve of any activity in Shaksgam valley"

Addressing the media ahead of the 78th Army Day on January 15, General Dwivedi rejected China's claim that the Shaksgam valley belongs to Beijing. He underlined that India considers the region part of its territory and views the 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement as illegal.

"We do not approve of any activity in Shaksgam valley," the army chief said, reiterating India's long-standing objection to Chinese construction and development projects in the area.

India does not recognise the agreement under which Pakistan ceded 5,180 square kilometres of territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to China. General Dwivedi also dismissed Chinese statements defending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which passes through territory claimed by India.

"We do not accept the statement issued in China on CPEC and consider it to be an illegal action being carried out by the two nations," he said.

China defends its claim, India counters diplomatically

China had earlier reaffirmed its claim over the Shaksgam valley, asserting that its infrastructure projects were lawful. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning defended Beijing's position at a media briefing.

"It's fully justified for China to conduct infrastructure construction on its own territory. China and Pakistan in the 1960s signed a boundary agreement and delimited the boundary between the two countries, which is the right of China and Pakistan as sovereign countries," she said.

India has consistently rejected this argument. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said earlier this month that New Delhi has never accepted the 1963 agreement.

"Shaksgam valley is Indian territory. We have never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement signed in 1963," Jaiswal said on January 9.

The Shaksgam Tract, which includes the valley, lies north of the Karakoram watershed and covers 5,180 square kilometres. The area was occupied by Pakistan after 1947 before being illegally ceded to China in 1963. India claims it as part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Northern borders stable, talks inch towards normalisation

Despite the sharp differences over territory, General Dwivedi said the situation along the northern borders with China remains stable, though constant vigilance is required. He pointed to improved engagement at multiple levels to prevent escalation.

"This has also enabled grazing, hydrotherapy camps and other activities along the northern borders. With our continued strategic orientation on this front, our deployment along the LAC remains balanced and robust. Concurrently, capability development and infrastructure enhancement are progressing through a whole-of-government approach."

The Indian Army resumed patrolling in Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh in 2024, restoring ground positions to the status that existed before April 2020, when the India-China military standoff began. This followed the final round of disengagement at Patrolling Point-15 in the Gogra-Hot Springs area in September 2022, after which negotiations had remained stalled.

"Both sides are making efforts to increase trust levels. There is a sense of urgency on both sides to keep the borders as calm as possible...As far as force reduction or deployment is concerned, it is a matter of time, space and resources," the army chief said.

He added that two groups have been set up to move discussions forward. "The expert group is looking at the boundary delimitation and the working group is looking at boundary management. Once these groups give us some additional guidelines, developments will take place on ground," he said.

Pakistan terror camps remain, Operation Sindoor warning

General Dwivedi also addressed the western front, stating that terrorist-initiated incidents have fallen sharply following Operation Sindoor, launched after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

"Terrorist-initiated incidents are down to almost nil after Operation Sindoor," he said, while cautioning that eight terror camps remain active in Pakistan, with an estimated 100 to 150 people present.

According to the army chief, two camps are located across the international border, while six lie across the Line of Control. He warned that any renewed attempt to target India would invite a strong response.

"The past year saw a sharp rise in the number and intensity of armed conflicts worldwide. These global shifts underline a simple reality: nations that stay prepared, prevail," he said.

Describing the operation, he added, "Through 22 minutes of initiation on May 7 and an orchestration that lasted 88 hours up to May 10, the operation reset strategic assumptions by striking deep, dismantling terror infrastructure and puncturing long-standing nuclear rhetoric. It is an ongoing operation, and any future misadventures will be resolutely responded to."

Operation Sindoor marked India's direct military response to the April 22 attack that killed 26 people, with strikes on terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir before a ceasefire came into effect on May 10.