China’s fresh bid to raise J&K in UNSC falls flat

China’s renewed attempt to bring the issue of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) back on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) suffered a setback after other permanent council members said the matter was a bilateral dispute between India and Pakistan.

China had sought inclusion of J&K issue in the agenda of a closed-door consultation the UNSC is scheduled to hold in New York early on Wednesday. But the United States, which now presides over the council, France, Russia and United Kingdom, refused to oblige.

The four nations stuck to their position, saying that J&K was a bilateral dispute between India and Pakistan and should be resolved bilaterally by the two nations, sources in New Delhi said.

The matter is now unlikely to be agenda of the UNSC closed-door consultation.

The fresh move by Beijing to bring back the issue on the agenda of the Security Council this week comes at a time when New Delhi is preparing to host Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi for yet another round of negotiations to resolve the protracted boundary dispute.

Wang and Modi’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval have been leading the boundary negotiations between
China and India as Special Representatives of the two nations.

They will hold the 22nd round of boundary negotiations in Agra on December 21 next.

Soon after the Modi government stripped J&K of its “Special Status” and reorganised the state into two Union Territories on Aug 5, China had got the Security Council accept a request by Pakistan to discuss the issue in a closed-door consultation.

The Security Council had on August 16 held the consultation as China asked for it.

New Delhi’s hectic diplomatic campaign had succeeded and the consultation had not led to the UNSC releasing a public statement on the
situation in Kashmir or discussing it in a formal open session.