Jaishankar’s Beijing visit proves failure

ISLAMABAD: China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said China was highly concerned over the current situation in Indian Held Kashmir and escalating conflict between India and Pakistan.

During a meeting with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who is on a three-day visit to China, Yi said China opposed any unilateral action that complicated the situation. “New Delhi’s move to end the constitutional status of Jammu Kashmir will change the status quo of the disputed area and result in a tense situation in the region,” he said.

Wang hoped that India andPakistan would resolve disputes in a peaceful manner and jointly safeguard the overall situation of regional peace and stability. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Beijing on Sunday on a three-day visit to hold talks with the Chinese leadership on a host of issues including developments with regard to Indian Held Kashmir (IHK)

It is understood that China reminded India of grave consequences of its actions. S Jaishankar is the first Indian minister who is on tour to China after the second term of Narendra Modi government.

Indian media conceded that the visit is also taking place after India revoked special status of IHK and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited China to have discussion with the Chinese leadership regarding the developments in IHK. China expressed solidarity with Pakistan on the question. Pakistan has also made up its mind to take India's move to revoke special status of IHK to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Jaishankar, who was the first career diplomat to become the External Affairs Minister of India served as his country’s ambassador to China from 2009 to 2013, the longest tenure by an Indian envoy.

He is known as China expert in Indian External Affairs ministry. His official engagements will begin today (Monday). It has not been officially announced yet as whom he would be meeting. China issued two separate statements in the wake of Indian action outlining its position on Ladakh and, Jammu and Kashmir after India’s action.

In a statement, China objected to the formation of Ladakh as Union Territory by India, saying it undermined its territorial sovereignty. It also expressed "serious concern" about the current situation in the region and said "relevant sides need to exercise restraint and act prudently".

In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "India does not comment on the internal affairs of other countries and similarly expects other countries to do so." On China's comment on Ladakh, Kumar said India and China have agreed to a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question on the basis of the “Political Parameters and Guiding Principles” for the settlement of India-China boundary question. Pending such a settlement, both sides have agreed to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas on the basis of the relevant agreements, Kumar said in New Delhi.

An official statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued after Wang’s talks with Shah Mehmood Qureshi identified both Pakistan and India as "friendly neighbours" and wanted them to resolve the Kashmir issue through UN resolutions and "bilateral agreement", in an apparent reference to the Simla agreement and Lahore Declaration between Nawaz Sharif and Late Atal Behari Vajpayee. However, there was no reference in the statement about China's response to Pakistan's decision to approach UNSC.