For many years, India has not accepted the boundary between Pakistan and China. Besides that, there has been a dispute over the Himalayan region for a long time. Delhi claims that part belongs to India, but recently this dispute came under discussion in September 2026, when Pakistan and China signed an agreement known as the ‘Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission’. As part of this, the inaugural ceremony was held in Islamabad on September 16-17, which Pakistan described as a very significant milestone that will strengthen cooperation along the border between India and Pakistan—improving trade, making trade stronger, and facilitating connectivity. 

Why India Rejected the Agreement 

India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not mince words. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters that there is no boundary between Pakistan and China to speak of and that the so-called Joint Commission has no legal basis whatsoever. 

This is not a new position for India. Delhi has said versions of the same thing for decades, ever since Pakistan and China signed their original boundary agreement back in 1963. What makes this moment worth paying attention to is the timing and the fact that a dormant mechanism has now been switched on, rather than any brand new territorial claim being made.

The 1963 Agreement Behind the Dispute

So, how did India reject this agreement? In 1963, Pakistan and China mutually signed a boundary agreement regarding areas under Pakistan’s control.

Under this deal, Pakistan ceded control of a 5,180-square-kilometer area to China—an area known as the Shaksgam Valley or the Trans-Karakoram Tract.

India did not accept this at the time. Delhi maintained that the entire region—including Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh—was Indian Territory, and asserted that Pakistan had no legal right to cede any part of it to a third country.

Interestingly, the 1963 agreement itself seemed to acknowledge that its........

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