China has completely rejected India’s objection to its infrastructure projects in Shaksgam Valley of Jammu and Kashmir. China is building a road to Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is passing through this area. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning clearly said that this valley is a part of China and it has every right to build a road there.
China has right over Shaksgam Valley: Mao
On January 12, 2026, Mao Ning said in a press conference, ‘The area about which questions are being raised is a part of China. It is China’s right to build infrastructure in its territory and no question can be raised on it.
He further said that China and Pakistan had signed a border agreement in the 1960s, in which the boundaries of both the countries were fixed. This decision was taken by two sovereign countries in their own right.
China’s stance on Kashmir the same as before: Mao
China described CPEC as an economic cooperation project, the purpose of which is to improve people’s lives by promoting local economic and social development. Mao Ning said that CPEC and the border agreement do not affect China’s stand on the Kashmir issue. China’s stand on Kashmir remains the same as before, that is, it is a historically complex issue, which India and Pakistan should resolve through mutual dialogue and peaceful means. China respects the resolutions and agreements of the United Nations (UN).
India’s strong objection to China’s claim
India had already described China’s control in Shaksgam Valley as illegal occupation on January 9, 2026. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said, ‘Shaksgam Valley is India’s territory. We have never recognized the so-called China-Pakistan border agreement signed in 1963. We consider that agreement illegal.
He also said on CPEC that India does not recognize it because it passes through the territory of India which is under the forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan. Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India. This has been clearly told to Pakistan and China many times.
What is the history of Shaksgam Valley?
In 1948, Pakistan had illegally occupied Shaksgam Valley. In 1963, Pakistan handed over this area to China. CPEC (started in 2013) passes through Gilgit-Baltistan, where works like roads, railways, energy projects and Gwadar Port are underway. Its total cost is about 60 billion dollars.
This area is strategically important because it gives China easy access to the Arabian Sea. India has been continuously saying that CPEC is a violation of India’s sovereignty. This dispute may further increase the tension between India, China and Pakistan, but the attitude from both sides remains the same as before.
