China Calls Shaksgam Valley Its Territory, India Objects
- By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
- Jan 12, 2026
- 583
China has reiterated its claim over the Shaksgam Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the territory is part of China and that it has the sovereign right to undertake infrastructure development there. The region forms a segment of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), through which China is constructing road connectivity linking its territory to Pakistan.
India has categorically rejected these claims and projects. New Delhi has consistently opposed any foreign construction activity in the area, terming it illegal. On January 9, India once again declared China’s control over the Shaksgam Valley to be an act of unlawful occupation.
Responding to India’s objections, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Monday that the territory in question belongs to China. She asserted that infrastructure development within China’s borders is a sovereign matter and not open to external challenge.
The Shaksgam Valley was illegally occupied by Pakistan in 1948 and subsequently ceded to China under the 1963 China-Pakistan boundary agreement—an accord India has never recognised.
Mao Ning maintained that China’s position on the Kashmir issue remains unchanged. She explained that China and Pakistan, as two sovereign states, concluded a border agreement in the 1960s to demarcate their boundary, calling it a legitimate exercise of sovereign authority.
On the CPEC project, Mao Ning described it as an economic cooperation initiative aimed at fostering regional development, improving infrastructure, and enhancing the livelihoods of local populations. She emphasised that the China-Pakistan border agreement and the CPEC have no bearing on China’s stance on the Kashmir issue.
China’s official position, she reiterated, is that the Kashmir dispute is a complex historical issue that should be resolved peacefully through bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan. Beijing, she said, respects relevant United Nations resolutions and international agreements.
India, however, has firmly rejected these assertions.
At a press briefing on January 9, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to queries regarding Chinese infrastructure projects in the Shaksgam Valley under the CPEC framework. He categorically stated that the Shaksgam Valley is an integral part of Indian territory and that India does not recognise the so-called 1963 China-Pakistan border agreement, which it considers illegal and invalid.
Jaiswal further emphasised that India does not recognise the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, as it passes through Indian territory under Pakistan’s forcible and illegal occupation. He reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are inseparable parts of India—a position that has been conveyed repeatedly to both Pakistan and China.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a flagship initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, involving an estimated investment of $60 billion (approximately ₹5 lakh crore). The project aims to connect China’s Xinjiang region with Pakistan’s Gwadar Port through an extensive network of roads, railways, ports, and energy infrastructure.
CPEC provides China with strategic access to the Arabian Sea. Currently, nearly 80 percent of China’s crude oil imports travel through the Strait of Malacca to reach Shanghai, covering a distance of approximately 16,000 kilometres. The CPEC route is expected to reduce this distance by nearly 5,000 kilometres, significantly enhancing China’s energy security.
India has consistently objected to the corridor, particularly because it passes through the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which India claims as its sovereign territory. New Delhi views CPEC as part of China’s broader expansionist strategy and an attempt to strategically encircle India.
From China’s perspective, CPEC offers substantial geopolitical and military advantages. Access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean strengthens China’s maritime reach, while Gwadar Port is seen as a potential naval logistics hub. A functional naval facility at Gwadar would enable China to undertake repairs, maintenance, and extended deployments, significantly bolstering its naval capabilities in the region.