‘1963 Pakistan–China Agreement Illegal’: India Rejects Beijing’s Claim Over Shaksgam Valley

New Delhi / Beijing: Fresh tensions have emerged between India and China over the contested Shaksgam Valley after Beijing reaffirmed its territorial claim and New Delhi reiterated that the 1963 boundary agreement between Pakistan and China is illegal and invalid.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, on Tuesday defended Beijing’s position on the Shaksgam Valley — a high-altitude region lying north of the Siachen Glacier — asserting that the area belongs to China and that ongoing infrastructure activities there are “fully justified” and “beyond reproach.” China also maintained that its border arrangements with Pakistan and related projects such as the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) do not affect its stance on the broader Kashmir issue.

India, however, has strongly rejected both China’s claim and the basis on which Beijing asserts sovereignty over the region. In a statement last week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated that the Shaksgam Valley is part of Indian territory in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and that it has never recognised the so-called China–Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963 under which Pakistan purportedly ceded the valley to China. New Delhi has consistently maintained that the agreement is illegal and invalid and reserves the right to take necessary measures to safeguard its interests.

The MEA has also made clear that it does not recognise the CPEC — a flagship connectivity initiative under China’s Belt and Road Initiative that passes through Pakistan-occupied territory that India claims as its own. New Delhi’s objection comes amid wider diplomatic concerns that development activities could consolidate China’s control over the disputed area.

Historical and Strategic Context

The Shaksgam Valley, part of the Trans-Karakoram Tract, was included in a 1963 boundary agreement between Pakistan and China. India asserts that this area was part of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir at the time of accession to India in 1947, but Pakistan, which administered parts of the region after 1947, entered into the agreement with China. India has consistently rejected this pact, arguing that a third party like Pakistan had no legal authority to cede territory that legally belongs to India.

The valley’s strategic importance stems from its proximity to the Siachen Glacier, critical mountain passes and connectivity routes in the high Himalayas, and potential military implications given its location near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China.

Diplomatic Standoff

China’s latest statement comes shortly after India lodged diplomatic protests and publicly criticised infrastructure developments in the region, framing them as efforts to alter “ground realities” in disputed territory. Beijing, in response, emphasised that its infrastructure projects and investments — including those under CPEC — are lawful sovereign activities and aimed at regional development.

The dispute reflects enduring friction between India and China over Himalayan border regions, despite mechanisms such as diplomatic engagement and military talks established to manage tensions following past standoffs. Analysts say the current exchange signals a renewed focus on territorial claims that remain unresolved decades after the original agreements were signed.