India Reaffirms Shaksgam Valley Claim, Rejects CPEC Route

India has firmly reiterated that the Shaksgam Valley is an integral part of its territory, rejecting any infrastructure projects or agreements that pass through what it considers illegally occupied land. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) underscored that New Delhi does not recognise the China–Pakistan understanding over the region and continues to oppose the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on sovereignty grounds.

India’s Position on Shaksgam Valley

Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the Shaksgam Valley forms part of the Indian Union Territory of Ladakh. He emphasised that India has never accepted the so-called China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, under which Pakistan purportedly ceded control of the Shaksgam area to China. According to India, Pakistan had no legal authority to transfer territory that New Delhi considers its own.

Rejection of the 1963 China-Pakistan Agreement

The MEA reiterated that the 1963 agreement between China and Pakistan is illegal and invalid. India has consistently maintained that any arrangements made by Pakistan involving areas under its illegal occupation lack legal standing. New Delhi has conveyed this position to Beijing on multiple occasions, stressing that such agreements cannot alter India’s territorial claims.

Objections to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

India also restated its categorical opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The MEA pointed out that parts of CPEC pass through Indian territory under Pakistani occupation, making the project unacceptable to India. New Delhi has repeatedly urged China to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in this context.

Imporatnt Facts for Exams

• Shaksgam Valley lies north of the Siachen Glacier and is part of the larger Kashmir region.
• The China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement was signed in 1963, which India has never recognised.
• CPEC is a major infrastructure corridor linking China’s Xinjiang region to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port.
• India opposes all projects in Pakistan-occupied territories citing sovereignty concerns.

Strategic and Diplomatic Implications

India’s renewed assertion reflects its broader strategy of consistently placing its territorial claims on record at international and bilateral forums. By reiterating its stance on Shaksgam Valley and CPEC, New Delhi aims to signal continuity in policy, deter third-party legitimisation of disputed arrangements, and underline that development initiatives cannot override questions of sovereignty and international law.