Kashmir or making Article 370 inoperable would not figure in the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping as these relate to India’s internal matter.
“There will be no mention of Kashmir or Article 370. India has made it sufficiently clear that defanging of Article 370 relates to the Indian Constitution, which is a sovereign function. And thus the issue of discussion on it does not arise,” said an official in the MEA.
The official added that the Chinese had some concerns born out of some ‘misunderstanding’ initially but they were addressed at appropriate level. On the issue of the creation of a Union Territory of Ladakh, following revocation of Article 370 and to which China had objected, the sources added that the step was taken in keeping with the demands of the local populace for more development and rights. But on the ground there isn’t any change.
The official said that India was not concerned about ongoing visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to China. “It is between China and Pakistan, and is of no concern to us,” the sources added.
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