'China Has No Locus Standi On Kashmir': India Gives Befitting Response To Beijing's Remark On J&K

China's remark came on the backdrop of a question asked by a Pakistani correspondent in Beijing on the occasion of one year of abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: In a befitting reply to China for commenting on Jammu and Kashmir and India's relation with Pakistan, New Delhi on Wednesday asked Beijing to keep out of the internal affairs of other countries. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, earlier in the day, said that peaceful coexistence between India and Pakistan aides the fundamental interests of both countries as well as the international community. “We have noted the comments of the Chinese MFA spokesperson on the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese side has no locus standi whatsoever on this matter and is advised not to comment on the internal affairs of other nations,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said. China's remark came on the backdrop of a question asked by a Pakistani correspondent in Beijing on the occasion of one year of abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government on August 5, 2019 announced of revoking Article 370 and Article 35A from erstwhile  state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two Union Territories as J&K and Ladakh. The decision made by Indian government had triggered a strong response from China as it believed the move would affect Beijing's territorial claims in Ladakh region. China had last year called India’s move “unacceptable”, proving that Beijing is complicit in Islamabad politics of terrorism. “China closely follows the situation in the Kashmir region. Our position is consistent and clear. This issue is a dispute left over from history between Pakistan and India. That is an objective fact established by UN Charter, Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements between Pakistan and India. Any unilateral change to the status quo is illegal and invalid. This issue should be properly resolved peacefully through dialogue and consultation between the parties concerned,” news agency PTI quoted Wenbin as saying. WATCH | Digital Billboard Of Ram Mandir Beams At New York's Times Square To Celebrate Mega Event “Pakistan and India are neighbours that cannot be moved away. Peaceful coexistence serves the fundamental interests of both and the common aspiration of the international community. China hopes that they can properly handle the differences through dialogue, improve relations and jointly safeguard peace, stability and development of both countries and the wider region,” the Chinese spokesman added on Wednesday. Both India and China are currently logged in a border standoff after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army encroached into Indian territory in Ladakh since May. The move triggered a bitter face-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at 3 major patrolling points in Ladakh.