A delegation from the Communist Party of China, led by its international department’s vice minister Sun Haiyan, visited the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Delhi on Monday, January 13, the same day Beijing reaffirmed its territorial claims over the contested Shaksgam valley.
During the meeting, a BJP delegation headed by party general secretary Arun Singh discussed at length “the means to advance inter-party communications between the BJP and the Communist Party of China”, BJP’s foreign affairs department in-charge Vijay Chauthaiwale said in a post on X.
The Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, also joined the CPC delegation, he added. “A delegation from the Communist Party of China, under the leadership of Sun Haiyan, Vice Minister, IDCPC, visited the BJP head office today,” Chauthaiwale said.
Later in the day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, told a media briefing in Beijing that the Shaksgam valley “belongs to China.” She was reacting to India’s statement criticising China’s infrastructure development projects in the Shaksgam Valley, saying it reserves the right to take necessary measures to safeguard its interests as it is an Indian territory.
Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq km of Indian territory in the Shaksgam Valley to China in 1963 from areas illegally occupied by it.
“It’s fully justified for China to conduct infrastructure construction on its own territory. China and Pakistan in the 1960s signed a boundary agreement and delimited the boundary between the two countries, which is the right of China and Pakistan as sovereign countries,” Mao said.
Opposition hits back
Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) slammed the BJP on Tuesday, January 13, over the BJP’s meeting with the CPC.
The Congress accusing the ruling party of showing hypocrisy in its dealings with that country and asking whether it raises the issue of repeated Chinese transgressions during such interactions, demanding full accountability and complete transparency from the government on its China policy.
“This must include public disclosure of the agenda, outcomes and minutes of all closed-door meetings held between representatives of the CPC and BJP/RSS functionaries,” Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera at a press conference on Tuesday.
Khera said that while there is no problem in any political party meeting or engaging in dialogue with a political party from another country, “but we do have a problem — with BJP’s hypocrisy, pretence, and deceit.”
“For years, the BJP kept shouting that Congress had signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the CPC, and now they themselves are holding meetings. We have a problem with the BJP’s intentions, because after these closed-door meetings, the country has to bear the consequences,” he said.
The Congress leader also slammed the government over the CPC delegation calling on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, saying “non-state players” should not be allowed to control state policy.
“What is it that they have to discuss? Culture, I hope. But this is for the BJP-RSS to answer,” he added.
The Congress leader asked whether the BJP ever confronted China about their role in assisting Pakistan in Operation Sindoor and providing them with weapons, technology and jets.
TMC leader Sagarika Ghose also questioned the CPC members’ visit to the BJP headquarters, and accused the ruling party of having “double standards”.
In a post on X, Ghose, deputy leader of the TMC in Rajya Sabha, said China lent “open military support” to Pakistan against India during the Operation Sindoor and questioned how the BJP would have reacted if the CPC members had visited an opposition party’s office.
“China lends open military support to Pakistan against India during Operation Sindoor; just today, China has claimed Shaksgam Valley. China has already overrun swathes of Indian territory, and what does BJP do? Welcomes Chinese Communist Party to its party HQ,” Ghose said.
BJP defends meeting
The BJP defended its meeting with CPC members, saying it held the meeting openly, given the “improved” relations between New Delhi and Beijing, unlike the Congress which, it alleged, “secretly” signed a memorandum of understanding with the neighbouring country’s ruling party.
The ruling party also slammed the Congress for raising border issues, saying it has “no locus” to do so as the root of the actual problems with China can be traced back to the time of the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
“Nevertheless, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has been working to resolve it. And that effort is continuing unabated,” BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli said.
(With PTI inputs)
