Drill doesn’t alter K-stand: China

Notwithstanding the joint exercise by the Indian and Chinese Armies 10 days back in Jammu and Kashmir’s eastern Ladakh, the Chinese military has said its position on Kashmir remains unchanged.

“On October 19, China and India conducted a company-and-platoon-level humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) joint drill near the Moldo meeting point at the western section of the China-India border. I’d like to stress that China’s position on Kashmir has not changed,” said Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), addressing a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

China recognises the Kashmir issue a “dispute” and one that is “left over from history”. It supports a resolution “through dialogue and consultation”.

Besides outstanding boundary disputes over territorial claims, India and China of late have confronted each other on a host of issues like the Nuclear Suppliers Group and supporting terrorist tag to UN-designated terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.

In the same media event, the Chinese military spokesperson also announced that Pakistani, British and Russian military aircraft will take part in the “Airshow China” in Zhuhai City of Guangdong province. Airshow China will be held from November 1 to 6. Putting speculation to rest, Chinese Air Force pilots will fly the still under wrap Chinese stealth fighter aircraft, Chengdu J-20, said Shen Jinke, spokesperson of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

The J-20 made news in India in September when it was spotted at an airbase in Tibet, indicating the aircraft ’s operability in very high-altitude airbases.

The J-20 is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft with stealth capabilities that will endow China with a long-range strike system in the Asia-Pacific region.

India doesn’t have a stealth fighter till now and is expected to soon ink a deal to develop a fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) jointly with Russia.