China opposes Indian plans to hold G-20 meeting in IIOJ&K

ISLAMABAD: China has voiced its opposition to India's reported plans to hold the next year’s meeting of G-20 leaders in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), echoing Pakistan's objection, and underlined that relevant sides should avoid “unilateral moves” that may "complicate" the situation.

“We have noted this latest development,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Beijing on Thursday while replying to a question. “China’s position on the Kashmir issue is consistent and clear-cut. The Kashmir issue, a dispute left from the past, should be peacefully and properly addressed in accordance with the UN Charter, Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreement,” Zhao said.

He said the “parties concerned need to avoid unilateral moves that may complicate the situation. Efforts should be made to settle the dispute through dialogue and consultation so as to maintain regional peace and stability.”

Stating that the G-20 is a premier forum for international economic and financial cooperation, Zhao said, “We call on all major economies to focus on steady recovery of the world economy, avoid politicising relevant cooperation and make positive contributions to improving global economic governance.”

Asked whether China, a member of G-20, would attend the meeting to be held in 2023, he said, “We will look at whether China will attend the meeting.” To another question by an Indian media person that China is building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in the (disputed) region in Pakistan’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir and India's objections over it, Zhao said the “two matters are completely different innature. China has undertaken some projects in Pakistan to help it grow its economy and improve people's livelihood."

Relevant Chinese companies conduct the relevant projects with the purpose of helping Pakistan to develop its economy and improve people's livelihood, he said. "This does not affect China's position on the Kashmir issue," he underlined.

On June 25, Pakistan said it rejected India's attempt to hold a meeting of G-20 countries in Kashmir, hoping that members of the grouping will be fully cognisant of the imperatives of law and justice and would oppose the proposal outright. This will be the first major international summit expected to be held in occupied area after its annexation by New Delhi.

He said it was a well-known fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory between Pakistan and India, and has remained on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council for over seven decades.

Meanwhile, Zhao Lijian congratulated Pakistan on the start of full commercial operation of the Karot Hydropower Plant. The Karot Hydropower Plant is a priority project for energy cooperation and the first large-scale hydropower investment project under the CPEC. The project was listed in the joint statement of the Chinese and Pakistani governments. Workers from both countries overcame difficulties and challenges together to complete the project, a process that took them seven years.

“China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. CPEC is a key pilot project under the Belt and Road Initiative and an important platform for all-round practical cooperation between the two countries. It is guided by the concept of green, open and clean development and committed to realising sustainable, livelihood-oriented and high-standard growth. Since its launch, cooperation in various fields under CPEC has delivered fruitful outcomes. China stands ready to work with Pakistan to renew our traditional friendship, deepen all-round practical cooperation and ensure CPEC will continue to blossom and bear more fruits and bring bilateral relations, people-to-people exchanges and economic and social development of the two countries to a new level,” Zhao Lijian added.