NEW DELHI: Ministry of external affairs on Friday accused China of violating India’s sovereignty and said that it is “illegally occupying” Indian territories in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh.During a weekly press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the government objects to the Chinese projects in Jammu and Kashmir.“EAM said that when it comes to sovereignty issues, it is actually India that should be and is raising them. India does not violate China’s sovereignty in any manner and has been consistent,” Jaiswal said.“But China has been in illegal occupation of Indian territories in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh since 1963, where India’s right is officially acknowledged even by China. There are Chinese projects on territories in Jammu and Kashmir that belong to India, and we object to that,” he added.This comes a day after external affairs minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of Asean summit in Manila,According to the Chinese foreign ministry readout, Wang said the meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kazan and Tianjin had “guided China-India relations onto the right track of improvement and development.”“China and India are partners, not competitors, and opportunities, not threats, for each other,” Wang said, adding that institutional exchanges between the two countries had gradually resumed, border areas had maintained peace and tranquillity, and bilateral trade had reached a new high.“These achievements have not come easily and should be cherished,” he said.Calling China and India representatives of emerging economies and key members of the Global South, Wang said the two countries should “prioritise human well-being, demonstrate their responsibility as major powers, consolidate the positive momentum of bilateral relations, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and make positive contributions to promoting multipolarity and the democratisation of international relations.“He said China was willing to work with India to implement the consensus reached by the two leaders, maintain close high-level exchanges, expand cooperation in trade, media and people-to-people exchanges, properly handle sensitive issues, and “explore a correct way for neighbouring major powers to coexist peacefully, based on mutual respect, mutual trust, common development, and common prosperity.
