Pakistan, Jan. 13 -- Beijing has rejected India's claim over the Shaksgam Valley in Kashmir, asserting that the territory "belongs to China" and defending its infrastructure projects in the region.

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At a press conference on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters that China's construction activities in the valley were "fully justified" as they were taking place on Chinese territory. She reaffirmed that China and Pakistan had signed a boundary agreement in the 1960s, delimiting the border, and described the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as an initiative to promote local development and livelihoods.

India, however, maintains that Shaksgam Valley is ...