India Conveys Strong Protests to China, Pakistan
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 3: India has conveyed its objection and protest via diplomatic channels to China after the neighbouring country set up two counties, parts of which come under the Union Territory Ladakh, and has also expressed reservations over Pakistan’s suggestions to improve ties between the two countries.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday that parts of the “so-called counties” fall under Ladakh, and India “never accepted illegal Chinese occupation of Indian territory in this area.”
Chinese state media Xinhua on December 27 had reported that the government of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region announced the establishment of two new counties in the region – He’an County, and Hekang County. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the State Council approved the two new counties, which would be administered by Hotan Prefecture, Xinhua reported.
Reacting to Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s remarks on improving Indo-Pakistan ties, where he emphasised on to “create an environment to help improve the relations,” India said, “The relevant ‘T’ word is terrorism and not Tango.”
Reference was to Mr Dar’s statement earlier this week. While urging India to improve ties between both countries, he said, “it takes two to tango.” He had also called upon India to “create an environment to help improve the relations.”
The ties between two countries deteriorated after India’s warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack. Pakistan further downgraded diplomatic ties with India after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan’s then foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited India in May 2023 to attend an in-person meeting of the foreign ministers of the SCO nations in Goa.
In October 2024, the external affairs minister S Jaishankar made a visit to Islamabad to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. It was the first time in nearly nine years that India’s foreign minister travelled to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained tense over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
On China declaring two new counties, Mr Jaiswal said, “We have seen the announcement pertaining to the establishment of two new counties in Hotan Prefecture of China. Parts of jurisdiction of these so-called counties fall in India’s Union Territory of Ladakh. We have never accepted the illegal Chinese occupation of Indian territory in this area,” Mr Jaiswal said.
“Creation of new counties will neither have a bearing on India’s long-standing and consistent position regarding our sovereignty over the area nor lend legitimacy to China’s illegal and forcible occupation of the same. We have lodged a solemn protest with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels,” he said. The county seat of He’an is Hongliu Township, while the county seat of Hekang is Xeyidula Township, Chinese state media reported.
On the dam over river Brahmaputra, the MEA spokesperson said India has conveyed its views and concerns over China building a hydropower project on the Brahmaputra river. Xinhua on December 25 reported China is building a hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Responding to the report, India said as a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, it has consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, its views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory.
“These have been reiterated, along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report. The Chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas. We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests,” Mr Jaiswal said.
There have been apprehensions that the dam will have adverse impact on Arunachal Pradesh as well as Assam.
