China dubs Kashmir ‘disputed territory’, pulls it out of Srinagar G20 meet

Beijing: China on Friday said it will not attend next week’s G20 tourism working group meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, adding that it “firmly” opposes the holding of any such meeting in the “disputed region”. does.

Under the chairmanship of India, the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting is scheduled to be held in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, from May 22-24. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular press conference, “China firmly opposes holding any kind of G20 meeting on the disputed territory. We will not attend such meetings.” Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Incidentally, China is a close ally of Pakistan and relations between India and Pakistan have been uncertain for many years regarding cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

The tourism industry has played an important role in the development of the Union Territory. However, years of instability have affected the tourism industry, leading to a drop in visitor numbers. Tourism players in Kashmir believe that the G20 meeting can attract investors and tourists from across the world.

India assumed the presidency of the G20 grouping on December 1, 2022 and will hold the post for one year. The G20 Summit in Jammu and Kashmir promises to launch a tidal wave of transformative outcomes, setting the region on a new path towards stability, economic growth and social development.

Asked about the ongoing G7 summit in Hiroshima, where US President Joe Biden visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on Friday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman described himself as an advocate of a nuclear-weapon-free world. Despite being described as saying, “Japan sits comfortably under America’s nuclear umbrella.”

Wenbin said, “The tragedy caused by nuclear weapons should never happen again. Japan has portrayed itself as an advocate of a nuclear-weapon-free world. But in reality, Japan lives comfortably under America’s nuclear umbrella.” Sits, and it is against and hinders. Abandonment of the first use of nuclear weapons by the US. We also hope that Japan will no longer take a hypocritical position on the relevant issue.”

The G7 leaders are currently in Japan to attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima from May 19-21. Notably, Japan assumed the presidency of the G7 in 2023.
The G7 Summit is an international forum held annually for the leaders of the G7 member states of France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada (in order of rotating presidency), and the European Union (EU). ,

Specifically, the G7 group includes Japan, Italy, Canada, France, the US, the UK, and Germany. Japan has invited leaders of Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam this year under its G7 Presidency.