China Reasserts Shaksgam Valley Claims, Defends Infrastructure Against India's Protests | The GPM

China on Monday stood firm on its territorial claims over the Shaksgam Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, brushing off India's objections to ongoing infrastructure projects in the disputed region. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning declared the area belongs unequivocally to China, insisting that construction activities there fall fully within Beijing's sovereign rights and remain beyond reproach. This sharp exchange reignites a long-simmering border dispute, with India viewing the moves as blatant encroachments on its territory while China leans on a decades-old boundary pact with Pakistan to justify its presence.The Shaksgam Valley, a rugged 5,180 square kilometer stretch nestled north of the Siachen Glacier, has long fueled tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Ceded by Pakistan to China under the 1963 Sino-Pakistani Boundary Agreement, which India has never recognized as legitimate, the valley serves as a strategic gateway linking Xinjiang to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Recent satellite imagery and reports reveal China pushing ahead with a major all-weather road, roughly 75 kilometers long and 10 meters wide, slicing through the area. Beijing frames this as routine development to boost connectivity and livelihoods, tying it to the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under the Belt and Road Initiative.India's Ministry of External Affairs fired back forcefully last week, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal labeling the projects illegal and invalid. He reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir, including Shaksgam, forms an integral and inalienable part of India, reserved the right to take necessary measures to protect national interests, and protested repeated attempts to alter ground realities. New Delhi has lodged similar complaints for years, viewing the CPEC route through the valley as a direct violation since it traverses what India considers illegally occupied land. The timing feels particularly charged amid broader India-China border frictions along the Line of Actual Control.For China, the stance carries deep strategic weight. Control over Shaksgam bolsters its grip on western Xinjiang, secures vital supply lines to Pakistan, and counters Indian positioning near Siachen, the world's highest battlefield. Infrastructure like roads, bridges, and potential military outposts enhances logistical edge in high-altitude warfare scenarios. Mao Ning emphasized that the 1963 agreement represents a settled exercise of sovereignty between two states, decoupling it from the broader Kashmir dispute, which Beijing urges resolving peacefully via UN resolutions and bilateral pacts. Yet analysts see this as classic salami-slicing, incrementally asserting dominance without full confrontation.Pakistan remains a silent partner in this triangle, benefiting immensely from CPEC investments topping 62 billion dollars. The corridor promises ports, power plants, and economic corridors linking Gwadar to Kashgar, though India decries it as legitimizing occupation. Islamabad backs China's narrative, rarely addressing India's claims directly. This alignment frustrates New Delhi, which accuses both of colluding to box it in strategically, especially as China ramps up military infrastructure elsewhere along shared borders.India's countermeasures blend diplomacy and deterrence. Patrols intensify near Siachen, infrastructure races ahead with roads like the Darbuk-Shyok-DBO, and diplomatic notes pile up in Beijing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has hardened rhetoric since the 2020 Galwan clash, suspending ties and boycotting Chinese apps. Public sentiment runs hot, with media amplifying every perceived slight. Yet economic interdependence tempers escalation, as trade hits 118 billion dollars despite tensions.Global powers watch warily. The US and Quad partners voice support for India's position, wary of China's expansionism, while Russia stays neutral. Environmental concerns linger too, with construction threatening fragile Himalayan ecology, rare species, and glacial melt accelerating downstream floods. Local communities in Gilgit-Baltistan grumble over unfulfilled CPEC promises, adding internal pressure.This flare-up underscores enduring fault lines. Neither side budges on claims, yet full war stays off the table given nuclear shadows and economic costs. Backchannel talks persist quietly, but trust eroded long ago. For Shaksgam, China's road carving deeper entrenches facts on ground, daring India to respond. Beijing's confidence stems from superior infrastructure and Pakistan's alliance, positioning it to hold sway.New Delhi faces stark choices. Military pushback risks wider conflict; diplomatic isolation yields little; legal challenges at UN falter on vetoes. Building parallel capabilities offers long-term parity, but time favors the builder. As Mao Ning's words echo, China signals no retreat, framing development as destiny. India vows vigilance, reserving all options. In these mountains, every meter matters, every project a provocation, every claim a flashpoint waiting.