China on Monday said that it is not aware of the presence of Chinese troops in Pakistani Kashmir. The statement came after Indian media reported on Sunday that high-ranking officials in the Chinese army have been spotted at a forward post in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

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China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said "I have not heard about the incident you mentioned," in response to a question about the presence of People's Liberation Army (PLA)  troops in Pakistani Kashmir.    

In response to another question about recent media reports that PLA forces have made frequent intrusion into the Indian region of Ladhak, Lu said, "there is no such thing as going beyond the border".   

He described such media reports as 'regrettable,' urging the press to play a more constructive role in improving the relationship between New Delhi and Beijing.   

"The bilateral relationship [between India and China] has maintained sound momentum of development. Friendly cooperation is the mainstream of the bilateral relationship," Lu said. "We hope that the relevant media would report objectively about China-India relations and do more to improve the friendly relationship between the two sides."

Lu, however, reiterated that China's stand on the 'Kashmir issue' remains unchanged despite Beijing's willingness to improve relationship with New Delhi.

"We believe that the relevant issue was left over by history between India and Pakistan. We maintain that the two countries should properly resolve it through negotiations and consultations," Lu said.   

After reports emerged on Sunday that Indian forces have spotted PLA troops along the Line of Control (LoC) on the Pakistani side of Kashmir, Indian experts claimed that Chinese troops have come to Pakistani Kashmir to supervise a major infrastructure project.       

The Chinese government is currently funding many big infrastructure projects across Pakistan. The most notable is the $41 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which will connect the Pakistani city of Gwadar Port to China's northwestern region of Xinjiang.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor also passes through Pakistani occupied Kashmir. India has protest against the fact that the corridor passes through the disputed territory.

China and Pakistan's foreign policy towards India is largely determined by decades of mistrust and also complex geo-political factors. Both countries have fought wars against India, with Pakistan having fought as many as four wars against India over disputed region of Kashmir.

Experts say the mutual acrimony with India has brought Pakistan and China closer. Over the past three decades, Beijing has regularly provided  military and economic aid to Islamabad to keep up the pressure on New Delhi.     

India and China Cold War 

India and China are currently engaged in sort of cold war with both countries seeking to increase influence in each other's neighboring territories. China has already established its presence in Indian ocean region with lucractive port projects in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

India, on other hand, is making efforts to develop close ties with China's neighboring countries including Vietnam and Philippines. Beijing is currently involved in a dispute with these nations over the South China Sea.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India in September 2014 helped to normalize ties between Beijing and New Delhi. But experts say the 'recent normalization' has hardly stopped the cold war between the two countries.  

Tagschina, India and China, kashmir, Pakistan, China and Kashmir