The Supreme Court’s verdict on Article 370 will not impact the Chinese position on Ladakh, a spokesperson for the Chinese government said on Wednesday, arguing that the western part of the India- China border has “always belonged to China”.
The Supreme Court on December 11 upheld the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, leading to the reorganisation of the full-fledged State of Jammu and Kashmir to two Union Territories and denuding it of its special privileges.
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“China has never recognised the so-called Union Territory of Ladakh set up unilaterally and illegally by India. India’s domestic judicial verdict does not change the fact that the western section of the China-India border has always belonged to China,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said, in response to a question on the verdict.
The remarks reflect China’s consistent position on the region that it had stated also in the immediate aftermath of the abrogation when it had protested calling the move a “unilateral revision of domestic laws”.
Pakistan’s caretaker Foreign Minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, had criticised the order and said, “International law doesn’t recognise India’s unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019. The judicial endorsement has no legal value .“
Earlier, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Tuesday had expressed concern about the Supreme Court’s decision.
The Ministry of External Affairs has rejected the OIC’s statement. “That OIC does so at the behest of a serial violator of human rights and an unrepentant promoter of cross border terrorism makes its action even more questionable,” said Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs. It has however not commented on China’s remarks.
