Introduction
In a development that could have serious security implications for India, China is constructing a road in the Shaksgam Valley, a part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) that was illegally ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963. Satellite pictures captured by the European Space Agency and reviewed by India Today's Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) team reveal that the basic trail of this road, branching out from an extension of Highway G219 in China's Xinjiang region, was laid between June and August last year. The road disappears into the mountains at a location (coordinate: 36.114783°, 76.671051°) approximately 50 km north of India's northernmost point, Indira Col in the Siachen Glacier – a forward area visited by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh twice since March.
Historical Background
The Shaksgam Valley is a part of the Trans-Karakoram Tract, a region historically part of Kashmir and claimed by India. This tract, spread over about 5,300 square kilometers, was captured by Pakistan in the 1947 war and handed over to China as part of their bilateral boundary agreement signed in 1963 – an agreement that India does not recognize. The latest official map published by the Union government after the abrogation of Article 370 continues to show this region as Indian territory. Indian defense experts have long argued that any change in the status quo in this part of occupied Kashmir amounts to a violation of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Strategic Significance
The construction of this road in the Shaksgam Valley has significant strategic implications for India. It lies in close proximity to the Siachen Glacier, a forward area visited by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh twice since March. Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma, the former commander of the Indian Army's Fire and Fury Corps, which is responsible for manning Kargil, Siachen Glacier, and Eastern Ladakh, has termed the road construction "totally illegal" and has called for India to register its diplomatic protest with China.
Concerns and Implications
The road construction in the Shaksgam Valley raises concerns about potential threats to the existing security scenario in this mountainous region. There are apprehensions that more such infrastructure projects could be used for military maneuvers by the armies of Pakistan and China, given reports of greater military cooperation in the region. In 2021, Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan province announced plans for a new road connecting Muzaffarabad to Mustagh Pass, which sits on the Pakistan border with Shaksgam Valley. As per the report, it would be linked to Yarkand in Xinjiang – indicating that the road might pass through the Shaksgam Valley to connect with China's national highway G219.
Potential Mineral Exploitation
Some observers, like Lt Gen Sharma, believe that the Chinese roads in the Shaksgam Valley could primarily be meant for transporting minerals, especially Uranium, allegedly mined from Gilgit-Baltistan, to Xinjiang. However, he advises constant vigilance against the potential use of these roads for "military maneuvers" by the armies of Pakistan and China.
Historical Claims and Negotiations
The road enters the contested region at Aghil Pass, which has historically served as a frontier of Kashmir with Tibet – something that Chinese rulers had recognized in the past. Aghil Pass and the Shaksgam Valley repeatedly appear in the text presented by the Indian side in support of its claim during border negotiations with China before the 1962 war.
"The official maps of the Government of India, including the one attached to the 1907 edition of the Imperial Gazetteer of India and the political maps published by the Survey of India showed this area in Indian territory,"
the Indian side led by then MEA director for China affairs, JS Mehta, told China's foreign office in Beijing in June 1960.
"Official Chinese maps published in 1917, 1919, and 1923 also showed this area as a part of India,"
reads the archive of the Ministry of External Affairs uploaded on the website of renowned tibetologist Claude Arpi.
Satellite images captured by the European Space Agency (India Today)
Government's Stance and Protests
The Indian government has repeatedly reiterated its commitment to take back all areas of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which India considers the Shaksgam Valley a part of. In parliament, Home Minister Amit Shah stated in 2019,
"I want to put this on record that whenever I say the state of Jammu & Kashmir in the House, then both PoK and Aksai Chin are part of it. The boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir decided in our Constitution, and also in the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, include PoK and Aksai Chin. I am ready to give my life for this," he had roared.
India has also lodged strong diplomatic protests with Beijing for showing the Aksai Chin plateau as its official territory. In 2015, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar said the country had protested the Chinese plans to invest $46 billion into a China-Pakistan economic corridor that passes through PoK.
Bilateral Understanding and Legitimacy
Despite decades-long control, China's occupation of the Shaksgam Valley lacks political legitimacy. Article 6 of the 1963 Boundary Agreement between China and Pakistan states,
"The two Parties have agreed that after the settlement of the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India, the sovereign authority concerned will reopen negotiations with the Government of the People's Republic of China, on the boundary, so as to sign a formal Boundary Treaty to replace the present agreement."
While India's engagement with Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) is governed by the 1972 Shimla Agreement, there is no such agreement with Chinese authorities about the Shaksgam Valley.
Reports suggest that China built a metalled road between 2017 and 2018 in the lower Shaksgam Valley, west of the strategic Karakoram Pass. There are also reports of the presence of Chinese military infrastructure in the Valley, which was reportedly protested by Indian military officials during border talks in 2022 that were held following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020.
Conclusion
China's illegal road construction in the Shaksgam Valley of illegally occupied Kashmir is a blatant violation of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It poses a significant threat to India's security interests in the region and could potentially be used for military purposes or the exploitation of natural resources. The Indian government must take a firm stand and engage in diplomatic efforts to address this issue, while also maintaining vigilance and strengthening its defensive capabilities in the area. The resolution of the Kashmir dispute is crucial for establishing the legitimate boundaries and ensuring lasting peace and stability in the region.
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