New Delhi: India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Friday urged all parties to exercise restraint and resolve disputes peacefully amid escalating military tensions in the Taiwan Strait, while separately reiterating its firm opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which New Delhi says passes through illegally occupied Indian territory.Speaking at the weekly media briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed mounting regional security concerns, walking a diplomatic tightrope as India navigates its complex relationship with Beijing.Responding to questions about Chinese military exercises near Taiwan, Jaiswal emphasised India’s stake in Indo-Pacific stability without directly naming any country.“India closely follows developments across the Indo-Pacific region. We have an abiding interest in peace and stability in the region in view of our significant trade, economic, people-to-people and maritime interests,” he said. “We urge all concerned parties to exercise restraint, eschew unilateral actions and resolve all issues through peaceful means without threat or use of force.”The statement comes as China conducted large-scale military drills around Taiwan late last month. The exercises, named “Justice Mission 2025”, took place on December 29-30 and simulated a blockade of Taiwan, deploying dozens of fighter jets, navy ships, missiles and coastguard vessels to encircle the island. The drills forced Taiwan to cancel dozens of domestic flights and were among the most extensive war games by coverage area to date, raising concerns among regional powers and Western allies about escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.India’s call for restraint and peaceful resolution of disputes takes on added significance given recent remarks from Beijing.Last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi claimed during a lecture that China had played a mediating role between India and Pakistan during the clashes in May 2025. While India did not officially react to Wang’s remarks, the claim was clearly viewed as problematic, given India’s position that bilateral issues with Pakistan are not subject to third-party mediation.In answer to a query about Chinese infrastructure build-up via CPEC and in the Shaksgam Valley, a strategic region that Pakistan ceded to China under their 1963 boundary agreement, the spokesperson rejected Beijing’s activities.“Shaksgam Valley is Indian territory. We have never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement that happened in 1963. We have consistently maintained that the agreement is illegal and invalid,” Jaiswal said.The Shaksgam Valley, located in the Trans-Karakoram region north of Siachen Glacier, is part of the disputed territory of Gilgit-Baltistan that India claims as part of Jammu and Kashmir. Under the 1963 agreement, Pakistan transferred approximately 5,180 square kilometres of this territory to China. New Delhi has never accepted this transaction, viewing it as an illegal transfer of Indian territory by Pakistan, which India considers to be in illegal occupation of the region.“We do not recognise the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor either, which passes through Indian territory that is under forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan,” Jaiswal continued.He emphasised that the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are “integral and inalienable” parts of India, adding that this position has been “clearly conveyed to Pakistan and Chinese authorities several times”.“We have consistently protested with the Chinese side against attempts to alter the ground reality in Shaksgam Valley. We further reserve the right to take necessary measures to safeguard our interests,” the spokesperson stated.The sharp remarks come in the wake of Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Beijing last week, where Pakistan and China agreed to align their development plans and launch an “upgraded” CPEC 2.0. According to a joint statement issued during the visit, both sides reached an agreement on the upgraded corridor, which has been a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative since its inception in 2015.India’s opposition to CPEC dates back to 2016. A year later, New Delhi declined to participate in China’s Belt and Road Forum, citing sovereignty concerns. In an official statement at the time, India’s External Affairs Ministry said, “No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity.”India’s reiteration of objections on CPEC and comment on the Chinese military exercises comes at a delicate moment in India-China relations, which have shown signs of improvement over the past year following the resolution of the four-year-long military standoff in Ladakh. The two nations reached a disengagement agreement in October 2024, leading to the gradual restoration of bilateral ties.Since then, there have been tangible signs of normalisation. Direct flights between the two countries have resumed, visa processing has been expedited, and the annual Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage for Indian devotees was reinstated after a long hiatus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024 and then again at SCO summit in Tianjin last year.India is set to host the BRICS Summit later this year, and there are expectations that President Xi could make a bilateral visit to India on that occasion, which would be the first visit by a Chinese head of state to India since 2019.