NEW DELHI: India rejected the reference to Jammu & Kashmir in a joint statement issued by Pakistan and China after talks between foreign ministers of the two countries in Beijing on Saturday.

In a statement on Saturday, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “J&K is an integral and inalienable part of India and we expect the parties concerned to not interfere in matters that are internal affairs of India.”

Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministers Wang Yi and Shah Mehmood Qureshi met in Hainan on Friday for their second strategic dialogue. A joint statement issued at the meeting said “both sides underlined that a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous South Asia was in common interest of all parties. Parties need to settle disputes and issues in the region through dialogue on the basis of equality and mutual respect”.

“The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation in J&K, including its concerns, position and current urgent issues”, it said.

“The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a dispute left over from history between India and Pakistan, which is an objective fact, and that the dispute should be resolved peacefully and properly through the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation”, the joint press release said.

In a statement New Delhi said: “India has repeatedly conveyed its concerns to both China and to Pakistan on the projects in so-called China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which are in the territory of India that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan. We resolutely oppose actions by other countries that change the status quo in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir and call on the parties concerned to cease such actions.”

The Pakistan foreign minister went to China after receiving little comfort from Saudi Arabia and OIC regarding taking up the Kashmir issue at the international level.