India's two neighboring countries—China and Pakistan—have once again come face to face with a new conspiracy to attack Indian sovereignty and territorial integrity. In Islamabad, top officials of the foreign ministries of Pakistan and China formally launched the so-called 'Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission' and held its first inaugural meeting. The meeting was co-chaired by Li Ya, Deputy Director General of Border and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and Bilal Mahmood Chaudhry, Director General (China) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. Describing it as a 'historic milestone' of bilateral relations, Pakistan claimed that this commission will work on border management, joint border surveys, cross-border trade and strengthening connectivity between the two countries. But as soon as the news of this commission became public, the Government of India immediately intervened and rejected it outright and termed it 'completely illegal and baseless'. India's strong attack: 'There is no border between Pakistan and China' Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), issued a statement in very strong words clarifying India's stand on this so-called Joint Commission. India made it clear that this commission has no legal or international justification. Highlights of the Ministry of External Affairs: No common border: India's position is clear and firm that no international border exists between Pakistan and China. The area that falls between the two countries geographically and legally is Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh, an integral part of India. Pakistan has no locus standi: Pakistan has no legal right over the Indian territory which it has forcibly and illegally occupied (PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan) since 1947-48. When that land does not belong to Pakistan, then it cannot form any agreement or commission on it with any third country. Stop the drama of illegal occupation and vacate PoK: Foreign Ministry gave a direct warning to Pakistan, saying, "Instead of indulging in such theatrics, Pakistan should immediately vacate its illegally and forcibly occupied Indian territories."
No impact on sovereignty: Any so-called border cooperation between China and Pakistan on illegally occupied Indian territories is neither acceptable to India nor will it make the slightest difference to India's sovereignty over these territories. That 'imaginary agreement' of 1963 which India never accepts. The root of this entire controversy is related to a 63 year old illegal agreement. Right after the India-China war of 1962, Pakistan signed the so-called 'Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement' (Sino-Pakistan Agreement 1963) on 2 March 1963 to strengthen its nexus with Beijing against India. Under this agreement: Pakistan had illegally handed over about 5,180 square kilometers of strategic Indian land in the Shaksgam Valley located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to China as a 'gift'. Even at that time, India had strongly opposed this agreement at the United Nations (UN) and international forums and termed it illegal. Article 6 of the agreement itself stated that whenever there is a final settlement of the Kashmir dispute, the boundary will be redrawn afresh with the sovereign country. Despite this, China and Pakistan have been continuously adopting construction work and border management tactics under the guise of this illegal agreement. Complete map of the dispute: Data, claims and legal reality The legal and strategic dimensions of this disputed area can be understood through this table: Aspects of the dispute China-Pakistan's claim/action India's constitutional and legal position Geographical location PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan are considered a common border There is no border between Pakistan and China; This is India's Ladakh/Kashmir. Both countries considered the 1963 agreement as the basis for demarcation. India never recognized it; This is completely 'illegal and void' Shaksgam Valley (5,180 sq km) China considers it as its sovereign territory Indian territory, which was illegally handed over to China by Pakistan New Boundary Commission A failed attempt to legalize the occupation formed for border survey, trade and connectivity; Completely unacceptable CPEC infrastructure Karakoram Highway and Economic Corridor construction is a flagrant violation of Indian sovereignty; India has been continuously registering protests, what is the strategic motive behind this move of Dragon and Pakistan? According to defense experts and diplomatic analysts, the deep strategic and tactical interests of China and Pakistan are hidden behind activating the 'Joint Boundary Commission' at this time: 1. Trying to get 'global recognition' for illegal occupation: Both the countries are trying to show the world through the Joint Commission and formal meetings that there is a legitimate international border between them. By doing this they want to present illegal occupation as a 'permanent status quo' (Legitimise Illegal Occupation) in front of the United Nations and the global community. 2. Security of CPEC and Karakoram Highway: The $62 billion 'China-Pakistan Economic Corridor' (CPEC) passes directly through Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK. China is extremely nervous after the recent suicide attacks on Chinese engineers in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It wants to give official cover to the presence of its People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Chinese security agencies in the region in the name of border management and joint patrolling. 3. Chinese military construction in Shaksgam Valley: Recently, satellite images revealed that China is building new paved roads, helipads and military posts in Shaksgam Valley very close to the Siachen Glacier. Through this Boundary Commission, China wants to give legal status to this construction work. 4. Joint mechanism of 'two-front war' against India: Amidst the ongoing military tension on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, the joint coordination of China and Pakistan on the western side of the Karakoram Pass is a deliberate conspiracy to increase the challenge of two-front threat to the Indian security apparatus. India's Diplomatic Stance: Aggressiveness and No-Compromise on Sovereignty The severity with which the Indian government has responded to this matter is indicative of New Delhi's changing and aggressive foreign policy. After the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir on 5 August 2019 and making Ladakh a Union Territory, India has reiterated the resolution passed in both the Houses of Parliament that the entire PoK and Aksai Chin are an inalienable part of India. India has clearly indicated that no matter how many commissions Beijing and Islamabad form or make paper agreements, the reality of ground and international law will not change. India will not only continue to oppose any expansion of CPEC, but will also consider any third party interference in Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK as a direct attack on its sovereignty. India's clear message is that China, which talks about peace on the border, will first have to learn to respect India's sensitivities and territorial boundaries.