China occupies 38,000 sq km of Indian territory: GoI

New Delhi, Aug 8: External Affairs Ministry on Friday said that China continues to occupy approximately 38,000 square kilometers of Indian territory acquired during the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
In response to a query raised by Rao Rajendra Singh, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh informed the Lok Sabha that the various diplomatic initiatives between India and China aimed at addressing the outstanding boundary issue were undertaken during the past six decades. “These steps included eight rounds of formal border negotiations held between 1981 and 1987, following the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Huang Hua to New Delhi in 1981,” Singh said, adding, “Further progress was made during Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to China in December 1988, when both sides announced the formation of the India-China Joint Working Group on the boundary question. This group held 15 rounds of talks from 1989 to 2005.”
“In 2003, during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s official visit to China, the appointment of Special Representatives was announced to explore a political framework for settling the boundary dispute. Following several rounds of talks, India and China signed the “Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of India-China Boundary Question” in April 2005,” he said, adding, “Subsequent discussions between the Special Representatives continued until 2012, culminating in a common understanding on the framework for settlement. Talks have continued since then, with eight more rounds held, the latest being in Beijing on December 18, 2024.”