Reasons Behind India’s Discontent Over Pakistan-China’s New Border Agreement
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India has long refused to recognize the disputed border area between Pakistan and China.
However, last week, when Pakistan and China took steps to formalize this area, the Indian government responded strongly.
Both countries have reactivated the ‘Pakistan-China Border Joint Commission.’ Pakistan described it as an “important platform” for border management, joint surveys, trade, and enhancing people-to-people contacts.
India rejected this move, stating it has no legal basis and will not accept any Pakistan-China border agreement that includes areas India claims as its own.
This announcement comes at a highly sensitive time.
India and China are attempting to stabilize relations along the disputed border known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), following prolonged military tensions in the Himalayan region.
Meanwhile, Beijing and Islamabad are deepening their cooperation amid ongoing disputes with India.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “Pakistan and China do not share any common border. We reject the so-called Joint Commission which has no legal basis.”
Contentious History
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This commission pertains to the Pakistan-China border area encompassing approximately 5,180 square kilometers of the Shaksgam Valley. Pakistan ceded this area to China in 1963, but India claims it as part of its Ladakh region.
According to India’s claim, this territory was a part of Jammu and Kashmir at the time, which Pakistan illegally occupied before transferring it to China.
The Indian government has never recognized this agreement and considers it illegal and invalid.
Therefore, the announcement made on Wednesday is particularly sensitive.
“Pakistan has no legal right to enter into any agreement over Indian territory it occupies illegally and forcibly,” the Indian Foreign Ministry stated.
Pakistan considers Jammu and Kashmir a disputed territory and claims the 1963 border agreement with China cannot be questioned. Pakistan regards the agreement as valid.
Professor Jabin T. Jacob, an international relations and governance expert at Shiv Nadar University in Delhi, interprets this development not as a new initiative but as a reactivation of an old mechanism.
“The 1963 China-Pakistan agreement established the Joint Border Commission; the key question now is how it will be implemented,” he said.
According to Jacob, the timing may reflect China’s desire to clarify its border and institutionalize its border-crossing activities, while Pakistan seeks to address other border tensions.
Factors Behind India’s Concerns
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Jacob argues that the incident should serve as a warning to India. He also remarked that the move appears to disregard provisions of the 1963 agreement.
According to him, Article 6 of the agreement states that reactivation is only possible after resolution of the Kashmir dispute and the determination of territorial control.
He also highlighted that India’s position is further complicated by the nature of government and international media communication today.
“Compared to China, India has limited presence in global communications and information domains. China can project its maps and narratives worldwide, whereas India’s expressions are limited and often defensive, allowing other countries to ignore them,” he said.
For India, this issue goes beyond practical border management. The region already hosts significant infrastructure and connectivity projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Karakoram Highway.
Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to the United States and now a senior fellow at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and the Hudson Institute, says the new commission holds importance from both practical and political perspectives.
“It represents coordination between the two sides,” Haqqani says. “This mechanism aims to enhance border cooperation, prevent illegal crossings, and protect strategic infrastructure related to CPEC.”
Haqqani notes that this development signals continued collaboration between China and Pakistan regarding Kashmir.
“China has never accepted India’s position on Kashmir and views Gilgit-Baltistan not as Indian territory but from Pakistan’s perspective,” he remarked.
He also pointed out the Pakistan-administered Kashmir region, which is connected to China and claimed by India as its own territory.
Haqqani observed changes in the perspective of Islamabad as well, especially in response to recent developments in Indian-administered Kashmir.