New Delhi:
In cut and dried response to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Kashmir remarks during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, India on Wednesday said that no other countries should comment on New Delhi’s internal matters. According to a report published in China's official news agency Xinhua, President Xi told Imran Khan that Beijing was keeping an eye on Kashmir and that he would always support Pakistan's core interests.
When asked to comment on Xi’s remarks, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "We have seen the report regarding meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan which also refers to their discussions on Kashmir."
"India’s position has been consistent and clear that Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India. China is well aware of our position. It is not for other countries to comment on the internal affairs of India," he added.
During his meeting with Imran Khan, the Chinese president reportedly told him that after their meeting, the right and wrong about the Kashmir situation has been cleared. He said that he was watching Kashmir and asked him to peacefully resolve the issue with India.
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He also assured Imran Khan that friendship between China and Pakistan was "unbreakable" despite changed international and regional situation. "No matter how the international and regional situation changes, the friendship between China and Pakistan has always been unbreakable and rock-solid, and China-Pakistan cooperation has always maintained strong vitality," Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.
China has blown hot and cold on Kashmir ever since India revoked a constitutional provision that granted the state a significant autonomy and divided it into two parts. It was China who helped Pakistan took the issue at the United Nations Security Council. During the 74th UNGA session in New York, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had said “no actions that would unilaterally change the status quo should be taken."
However, the country changed its tune ahead of the ahead of Xi Jinping’s summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai on October 11 and 12 and said that Kashmir issue should be resolved bilaterally. According to reports, the issue of Kashmir is not on the table during the Modi-Xi summit but can be discussed if the Chinese president demands more clarity on the situation.
