World | India
China's Kashmir projects 'illegal'
Krishna stands firm on developments
- Agencies
- Published: 00:00 October 29, 2009
Bangalore: India on Wednesday made clear its opposition to China's participation in projects in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, saying it treats any such activity as "illegal".
"Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Any activity by any country in Jammu and Kashmir is illegal and this has been made known to all concerned," External affairs minister S.M. Krishna told reporters here in response to a question about Chinese participation in developmental projects in the region.
Power project
China is assisting Pakistan in developing a mega power project and constructing a highway in the Karakoram range in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Chinese President Hu Jintao, during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Beijing recently, emphasised his country's commitment to these projects.
Meanwhile, both sides are trying to rein in rising rhetoric over reports of troop mobilisation along their shared border and a planned visit by the Dalai Lama to an Indian state.
Each side claims vast swathes of the other's territory along their 3,500-km Himalayan boundary, leading to occasional charges of border incursions. "It [the border] is not delineated. As a result there could be incursions once in a while but nothing to be alarmed about," Krishna said. "The effort is to take the relationship to the level of being partners."
Differences also remain over the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama's visit to the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Position
Beijing sees the Dalai Lama's trip as encouraging the Tibetan struggle by undermining Chinese territorial integrity. Krishna reiterated India's position on the Tibetan leader as that of a "guest" free to travel anywhere in India.
India has been home to the Dalai Lama since he fled a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
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