India shocks China by hosting G-20 in Ladakh along with Jammu-Kashmir -

New Delhi: India’s plans to host the G-20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir came as a shock to Pakistan. Pakistan is worried that if India succeeds in this effort, Pakistan’s claim that it is a disputed territory will be dispelled. Therefore, Pakistan had requested Saudi, Turkey and China to oppose the organisation of the G-20 in Jammu and Kashmir. Neither Turkey nor Saudi opposed the proposal, but China opposed hosting the G-20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir at Pakistan’s request. After this, India plans to hold G-20 meetings in Ladakh along with Jammu and Kashmir. This is a big blow to China, which has staked its claim on Ladakh.

Ladakh is now a Union Territory along with Jammu and Kashmir. For the first time since the abrogation of Article 370, an international conference is being organised in this Union Territory. Preparations for the same have begun and the Ministry of External Affairs has sent a letter in this regard to the authorities in Ladakh. The Ministry of External Affairs suggested that Ladakh should appoint special officers to organise the G-20 meetings. Accordingly, the administration of Ladakh has initiated activities. After Pakistan, this is a blow to China, which is opposed to the G-20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir.

A few days ago, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it would be better to think about getting out of the economic slump rather than playing politics by holding a G20 summit in the disputed area. However, India has shown that it does not care about China’s opposition by holding some G-20 meetings in Ladakh. About fifty to sixty thousand soldiers of India and China are standing in front of each other on the LAC of Ladakh. China has been claiming that Ladakh is not India’s territory and has a right over it. The tension on the LAC in Ladakh had increased tremendously following the conflict between the Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley. The tension has still not subsided.

The Indian army will not retreat unless China makes a complete withdrawal from the region. India demands that China must first establish harmony along the LAC if it expects economic and diplomatic cooperation with India. China seems to have been cornered given this tough Indian stand. This has disseminated to the world that China does not dare to take aggressive military action against India. In such a situation, after China objected to the G-20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, India seems to have also challenged China by holding G-20 meetings in Ladakh. This is part of an aggressive change in India’s policy towards China.