China will not attend G20 meeting in disputed Kashmir: Beijing
Kashmir is administrated in part by India, Pakistan and China, which has also opposed India's decision to hold a G20 meeting in the disputed territory.
"China is firmly opposed to holding any kind of G20 meetings in disputed territory, and will not attend such meetings," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. / Photo: Reuters Archive
China has said that it is opposed to a G20 tourism meeting next week at Srinagar in the India-administrated part of Kashmir and will not attend.
"China is firmly opposed to holding any kind of G20 meetings in disputed territory, and will not attend such meetings," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
India, which holds the chair of G20 this year, has organised a series of meetings across the country in the run-up to the summit in New Delhi in September.
In 2019, India split the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir to create the two federal territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
A large chunk of Ladakh is under Chinese control.
Ties between New Delhi and Beijing have been strained since a military clash in Ladakh in 2020 in which 24 soldiers were killed.
Calls for boycott
Kashmir Scholars Consultative and Action Network (KSCAN) has also called for the complete boycott of G20 meeting in India-administered Kashmir.
Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK) has also argued in its legal memorandum sent to all the participating states that any participation in the event would be paramount to a violation of international law and ethics. This legal memorandum has been sent to delegates as well.
UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues also denounced the decision of holding of G20 meeting in the disputed territory, saying such an event is tantamount to lending support to attempts by India to normalise the brutal and repressive denial of democratic and other rights of Kashmir Muslims and minorities.
Holding a #g20 meeting in #jammuandkashmir while massive #humanrights violations are ongoing is lending support to attemps by #India to normalize the brutal & repressive denial of democratic & other rights of #kashmiri #Muslims and #minorities. pic.twitter.com/fjLSjovfKX
— UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues (@fernanddev) May 15, 2023
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, will host a meeting of the tourism working group for G20 members on May 22-24.
Kashmir is administrated in part by India, Pakistan and China, which has also opposed India's decision to hold a G20 meeting in the disputed area.
India has countered the objection saying it is free to hold meetings on its own territory. It said on Friday peace and tranquility on its border is essential for normal ties with China.
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