PEKING: China has refused to recognise Indian sovereignty over Kashmir, it was officially announced here yesterday. China’s flat denial that it had ever accepted “without any reservation the position that Kashmir is under Indian sovereignty” was contained in a very sharp Note handed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry to the Indian Embassy in Peking on May 31.

The Chinese Note also said that India was following a policy of “out-and-out great Power chauvinism” in connection with its northern borders. “China rejects the unjustifiable protest of the Indian Government about a Chinese announcement that it was to open border talks with Pakistan”.

It accused the Indian Government of “seeking to make use of the boundary question to sow discord in relations between China and Pakistan”. It said that India, in its May 10 Note, ignored the existence “not only of areas the defence of which is under the control of Pakistan” but also of Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan.—Agencies

Another lie nailed

KARACHI: No immediate official comment on the Peking announcement that China has never accepted India’s sovereignty over Kashmir was available here last night, but observers said: “Another Indian lie had been nailed.” —Special Representative