Beijing:India government led by BJP on Monday scrapped Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and proposed that the state be bifurcated into two union territories, J&K and Ladakh.

Asking India and Pakistan to implement control, China on Tuesday said, “India and Pakistan should avoid actions that unilaterally change the status quo and worsen tensions between them. China is seriously concerned over the situation in Kashmir.”

In a Statement isssued by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said that China is seriously concerned about the current situation in Jammu Kashmir. China’s position on the Kashmir issue is clear and consistent. It is also an international consensus that the Kashmir issue is an issue left from the past between India and Pakistan. The relevant sides need to exercise restraint and act prudently. In particular, they should refrain from taking actions that will unilaterally change the status quo and escalate tensions. We call on both India and Pakistan to peacefully resolve the relevant disputes through dialogue and consultation and safeguard peace and stability in the region.

China also expressed its disagreement to India’s move to create a separate Union Territory of Ladakh. As a reaction to China’s statements, India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, “India does not comment on the internal affairs of other countries, and similarly expects other countries to do likewise.”

Raveesh’s Chinese counterpart Hua Chunying in reaction said, “China’s position on Kashmir was clear and consistent. The issue is a legacy of history between India and Pakistan, which is also the consent of the international community.” She added, “We call on the two sides to peacefully resolve relevant disputes through dialogue and consultation and safeguard regional peace and stability.”

“India and Pakistan should avoid actions that unilaterally change the status quo and worsen tensions between them. China is seriously concerned over the situation in Kashmir.”

This is the second statement issued by China on the Kashmir issue in recent past. China’s first statement was issued in response to US President Donald Trump’s offer to intervene between India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Washington. India discarded Trump’s offer, saying that Kashmir is a bilateral issue.