China objects to J&K’s bifurcation into UTs, calls it ‘unlawful and void’

Team Udayavani, Oct 31, 2019, 5:23 PM IST

Beijing: China on Thursday objected to the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories as “unlawful and void”, saying India’s decision to “include” some of China’s territory into its administrative jurisdiction “challenged” Beijing’s sovereignty.

Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated on Thursday into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, in accordance with the Indian government’s August 5 announcement revoking the state’s special status under Article 370.

China had earlier objected to the Indian government’s August 5 order of the revocation of Article 370 and the formation of Ladakh as Union Territory, saying that some of the areas involved Chinese territory.

“The Indian government officially announced the establishment of so-called Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union Territories which included some of China’s territory into its administrative jurisdiction,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told the media here on Thursday.

“China deplores and firmly opposes that. India unilaterally changed its domestic laws and administrative division challenging China’s sovereignty,” he said replying to a question.

“This is unlawful and void and this is not effective in any way and will not change the fact that the area is under Chinese actual control,” he said.

“China urges the Indian side to earnestly respect Chinese territorial sovereignty, abide by our treaties and uphold peace and tranquillity in the border areas and create favourable conditions for proper settlement of boundary question,” he said.

After the revocation of Article 370, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who visited China in August, informed his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter and the sole prerogative of India and it has no implication for either the external boundaries of India or the Line of Actual Control (LAC).