India conveys concern to China on presence in Pak-Occupied Kashmir

India on Friday conveyed its concern to China over its “activity and presence” in Gilgit-Baltistan, the Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir region, in the backdrop of reports that up to 11,000 Chinese troops had moved in there.

Just back from New Delhi where he briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other members of the Cabinet Committee on Security, Indian Ambassador to China S. Jaishankar met Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Zhang Zhijun to convey these concerns.

The Chinese Minister told the Ambassador that Chinese personnel were present in PoK to render “humanitarian assistance” to the flood-affected people in the region, sources in the Indian Embassy said in Beijing. The two also discussed a number of other issues concerning improvement of bilateral ties.

Following a report in The New York Times of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) presence in PoK, India had said it was independently verifying the matter which it dubbed as “serious, if true.” “If true, it would be a matter of serious concern and we would do all that is necessary to ensure safety and security of the nation,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash had said on Monday when asked to comment on the reports.

These reports represent the latest in a series of irritants stemming out of Chinese actions in recent weeks including denial of visa to Lt Gen B.S. Jaswal, Chief of Indian Army’s North Command, apparently on the ground that he headed troops in Jammu and Kashmir, which Beijing considers a disputed territory. India has already put on hold defence exchanges with China. But Beijing has said it has not yet received any official communication from India and its defence ties with New Delhi are intact.

- Asian Tribune -