China says no to G-20 meet in disputed Kashmir

ANKARA

China on Friday said Beijing will not attend any such meeting of the G-20 in disputed territory of Kashmir, according to the state-run media.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Beijing is opposing to hold such meeting in disputed areas.

"China firmly opposes holding G-20 meetings in any form in disputed areas and will not attend such meetings," Global Times quoted Wang as saying, when asked about reports of India hosting a G-20 meeting in Kashmir.

India is set to host the third G-20 working group on tourism meeting in the Jammu and Kashmir region on May 22-24 as head of the 20-nation group.

It is the first major international event to be organized after Aug. 5, 2019, when the Muslim-majority region’s autonomous status was scrapped, raising fears that Muslims would be rendered a powerless minority.

On May 8, Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during his visit to India for attending a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, also criticized New Delhi for holding the G-20 summit in the disputed Kashmir, and said it shows India’s "arrogance and violation of international law" as Kashmir is a disputed territory.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid.