India’s consistent position has been that Arunachal Pradesh and the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are its integral parts and it has been clearly conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions, the External Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday. Responding to a query in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said Beijing disputes the international boundary between India and China.
“Inthe Eastern sector, China claims approximately 90,000 square kilometers ofIndian Territory in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Indian Territory under theoccupation of China in the Union Territory of Ladakh is approximately 38,000square kilometers,” he said in a written reply.
“Inaddition, under the so-called China-Pakistan ‘Boundary Agreement’ signedbetween China and Pakistan on March 2, 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180square kilometers of Indian territory in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir toChina,” he added.”India’sconsistent and principled position is that Arunachal Pradesh and the entireUnion Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are and shall bean integral part of India. This fact has been clearly conveyed to the Chineseside on several occasions,” Muraleedharan said.