New Delhi, India / Beijing, China | January 2026
The governments of India and China exchanged formal diplomatic statements in January 2026 regarding infrastructure construction activity in the Shaksgam Valley.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, addressed the issue during a weekly media briefing on 9 January 2026. He stated that the Shaksgam Valley is Indian territory and that India has never recognised the 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement. Jaiswal confirmed that India has protested Chinese attempts to alter the situation and reserves the right to take necessary measures to safeguard its interests.
In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, firmly rejected India’s objections during a press briefing on 12 January 2026. She asserted that “the territory you mentioned belongs to China” and that it is fully justified for China to conduct infrastructure construction on its own territory.
The exchange represents a continuation of longstanding diplomatic dialogue between the two countries on boundary matters. Both India and China are founding members of the BRICS grouping.
References:
- Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs. “Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (January 09, 2026).” mea.gov.in, 9 Jan. 2026, https://www.mea.gov.in/media-briefings.htm?dtl/40576/Transcript_of_Weekly_Media_Briefing_by_the_Official_Spokesperson_January_09_2026.
- The Tribune. “MEA reiterates its ‘already clarified’ position on Shaksgam Valley, rejects China’s CPEC activity as ‘illegal and invalid’.” tribuneindia.com, 16 Jan. 2026, https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/mea-reiterates-its-already-clarified-position-on-shaksgam-valley-rejects-chinas-cpec-activity-as-illegal-and-invalid/.
