Source: NDTV
Subject: Mapping
Context: The Shaksgam Valley has returned to focus after China reaffirmed its territorial claims and defended infrastructure construction in the region, following India’s strong diplomatic protest.
About Shaksgam Valley:
What it is?
- Shaksgam Valley, also called the Trans-Karakoram Tract, is a high-altitude, sparsely inhabited region in the extreme north of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, claimed by India but administered by China after being transferred by Pakistan.
Located in:
- North of the Siachen Glacier
- Between the Karakoram and Kunlun mountain ranges
- Lies in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Hunza-Gilgit region) but administered by China as part of Xinjiang (Taxkorgan and Yecheng counties)
History and Dispute:
- After Jammu & Kashmir acceded to India in 1947, India claimed sovereignty over Shaksgam.
- During the 1947–48 war, Pakistan took control of the area.
- Historically, the region was part of Baltistan/Ladakh, reflected in Balti and Ladakhi place names.
- British-era maps and surveys showed the region as part of Kashmir, though the boundary with China remained undefined.
Sino-Pakistan Frontier Agreement (1963):
- Signed on 2 March 1963 between China and Pakistan.
- Pakistan ceded 5,180 sq km of Shaksgam Valley to China.
- Article 6 of the agreement states that the boundary is temporary, and must be renegotiated after settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
- India rejected the agreement, calling it illegal, since Pakistan had no right to transfer Indian territory.
Current Status:
- Administered by China as part of Xinjiang
- Claimed by India as part of Union Territory of Ladakh
- Pakistan no longer controls it, but defends the 1963 agreement
- China is now building roads and infrastructure in the area
Significance:
- Lies close to Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield.
- Sits near Aksai Chin and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) routes.
- Strengthens China–Pakistan strategic and military connectivity.
