The recent Indian Supreme Court decision upholding the repeal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir drew a swift reaction from China, which reiterated its long-standing territorial claims in the region. A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasised China’s claim to the western portion of the India-China border and stated that the ruling had no effect on China’s position.
” China never recognised the so-called Union Territory of Ladakh set up unilaterally and illegally by India,” the official stated.
This statement is in response to the Supreme Court’s December 11th ruling, which backed the government’s decision to remove Article 370, resulting in the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, including Ladakh.
The spokesperson further claimed that “India’s domestic judicial verdict does not change the fact that the western section of the China-India border has always belonged to China.”
The Chinese spokesperson’s comment suggests that China is not changing its stance on the border conflict and that its territorial claims would not be impacted by the internal activities of the Indian government in Jammu and Kashmir.
A deliberate effort to assert China’s position on the complex issue may have been implied in the statement’s timing, which coincided with the Supreme Court’s decision.
