The bus service with Pakistan will not change our position on Kashmir: China

China sought Thursday to defend the proposed bus service with Pakistan via PoK, claiming that its cooperation with Islamabad had nothing to do with the territorial dispute and that it would not change its position of principle on the Kashmir issue.

India announced on Wednesday that it had protested strongly against the bus service project between the two countries via Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of the Sino-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project (CPEC). ).

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said Wednesday that the bus service would constitute a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.

According to Pakistani reports, the new bus service will be launched on November 3 between Lahore in Pakistan and Kashgar in China via Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

His launch apparently coincides with the inaugural visit of Pakistan's Prime Minister Khan to China on Friday.

Asked about India's protest, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang said he was unaware of the diplomatic demonstration in the country. 39; India.

"But on the issue of Kashmir, China's position is clear, and we have made it clear several times," he said.

China's position, he said, is that "cooperation between China and Pakistan has nothing to do with the territorial dispute and will not affect the position of principle from China on Kashmir ".

China maintains that the Kashmir issue should be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan through dialogue and consultation.

He defended the CPEC of 60 billion USD, claiming that it was an economic cooperation project between China and Pakistan.

"It does not target any third party," he said.

The CPEC includes a host of projects linking the Chinese province of Xinjiang to the Pakistani port of Gwadar in Baluchistan province.