India on Thursday rejected a regard to Jammu and Kashmir by a spokesperson of China’s permanent mission to the United Nations , asserting that the union territory “has been, is and shall continue” to be its integral part. Spokesperson within the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava said India expects China to refrain from commenting on matters internal to India and therefore the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said India also expects China to recognise and condemn the scourge of cross-border terrorism that affect the lives of the people of India, including in Jammu and Kashmir. “We reject the regard to Jammu and Kashmir during a statement made by the spokesperson of the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations ,” he said. Srivastava was responding to a question on the remarks by the Chinese spokesperson. “China is cognizant of India’s consistent position on this issue. The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir has been, is and shall still be an integral a part of India. Issues associated with J and K are internal interest India,” he said. “It is, therefore, our expectation that other countries, including China, would refrain from commenting on matters that are internal affairs of India and respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
