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China rakes up Kashmir at UNSC; India gives stern response

WION
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Aug 06, 2020, 12:45 PM IST
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india china flags (representative image) Photograph:(Reuters)

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China at the behest of Pakistan has in the past -- August, 2019 and January, 2020 -- raked Kashmir informally at the UNSC. Domestically Pakistan has used these developments for propaganda purposes while not explaining that these meets are informal and without outcome.  

India has hit back at China as it tried to rake the Kashmir issue not only at United Nations Security Council (UNSC) but also in its daily foreign ministry pressers. The Chinese action of August 5 coincided with the first anniversary of the removal of special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir by India. 

To this end, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "We have noted that China initiated a discussion at the UN Security Council on issues pertaining to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This was not the first time that China has sought to raise a subject that is solely an internal matter of India."

"As on such previous occasions, this attempt too met with little support from the international community. We firmly reject China’s interference in our internal affairs and urge it to draw proper conclusions from such infructuous attempts."

China at the behest of Pakistan has in the past -- August, 2019 and January, 2020 -- raked Kashmir informally at the UNSC. Domestically Pakistan has used these developments for propaganda purposes while not explaining that these meets are informal and without outcome.  

Indian envoy to United Nations TS Tirumurti in a tweet explained, "Another attempt by Pakistan fails! In today’s meeting of UN Security Council which was closed, informal, not recorded and without any outcome, almost all countries underlined that J&K was the bilateral issue & did not deserve time and attention of Council."

The Chinese raised the matter under "Any Other Business" (AOB ) format, something which no one prevents from the discussion. It is interesting to know that the developments in Hong Kong were raised by the US and other members of UNSC in May in the same format, irking China. And even China, which is a permanent member of UNSC, couldn’t stop a discussion on them.

China and Pakistan's actions looked coordinated on the first anniversary of the removal of special status. On Wednesday itself, the Chinese foreign ministry responding to a question from Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) on Kashmir called India removing special status as "illegal and invalid."

China's foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, "China pays high degree of attention to the Kashmir issue. Any unilateral change to the status quo is illegal and invalid. This issue should be properly resolved peacefully through dialogue and consultations between the parties concerned."

New Delhi, while taking a "note" of Chinese comments, sharply reacted to it. The MEA said, "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 developments come amidst China's growing aggressiveness with India at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. The June 15 Galwan incident saw ties between the two countries reaching a nadir in years.

Twenty Indian soldiers lost their lives in the incident. China has been quiet about the number of casualties on its side.