The Other Occupier: Unveiling China’s Hidden Occupation in Kashmir

 For decades, the world has viewed the Kashmir conflict as a binary contest between India and Pakistan, a deeply rooted territorial dispute born in the aftermath of the 1947 Partition. With both nations claiming the region in full but governing in parts, global attention has long focused on their political, military, and ideological rivalry. However, this narrow lens ignores a critical third player, China, whose involvement in Kashmir is not passive or peripheral, but actively rooted in territorial occupation and expansionist strategy.

Just as China has unlawfully occupied East Turkestan (now known as Xinjiang), turning it into a surveillance-heavy, repressed zone under the Chinese Communist Party, it has similarly entrenched itself in key parts of Kashmir, often without significant global scrutiny. The time has come to expose this uncomfortable truth: China is an occupier in Kashmir, and its actions must be acknowledged, discussed, and challenged just as forcefully as those of any other power in the region.

Understanding the Geography and the Players

The region historically known as Jammu and Kashmir was a princely state under British suzerainty before 1947. Upon independence and Partition, its future was to be determined either through accession or a plebiscite, a process never fully realized due to ensuing wars and political manipulation. Today, the region is divided among three countries:

• India: Controls Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, claiming sovereignty over the entire region.

• Pakistan: Controls Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, also claiming all of Kashmir.

• China: Controls two significant regions:

  • Aksai Chin

  • Shaksgam Valley

While India and Pakistan dominate the narrative, China’s occupation, largely overshadowed, represents a massive geopolitical maneuver that has reshaped the region's map and strategic balance.

Aksai Chin: The Hidden Casualty of the 1962 War

The Aksai Chin region, covering about 38,000 square kilometers, lies in the eastern part of Ladakh. Though claimed by India, it has been under Chinese occupation since the 1962 Sino-Indian War. India considers it an integral part of the Union Territory of Ladakh, while China views it as part of its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Why Does China Want Aksai Chin?

1. Strategic Location: Aksai Chin serves as a vital corridor between Tibet and Xinjiang, two restive regions where Beijing seeks absolute control.

2. Military Advantage: The plateau offers significant military value and a buffer against India.

3. Highway Infrastructure: The China National Highway 219, a major military and economic route, runs through Aksai Chin. This road links Lhasa (Tibet) to Kashgar (Xinjiang), enhancing China’s logistical control over western territories.

Despite international maps often showing Aksai Chin as disputed or even Indian territory, the Chinese PLA has fortified the area with bases, roads, surveillance systems, and forward deployment, firmly establishing China’s grip.

Shaksgam Valley: The Quiet Surrender by Pakistan

In 1963, Pakistan signed the Sino-Pakistan Agreement, handing over approximately 5,180 square kilometers of territory in the Shaksgam Valley (also known as the Trans-Karakoram Tract) to China. This area is part of the broader Gilgit-Baltistan region, itself claimed by India as part of Jammu & Kashmir.

This deal, presented as a “temporary arrangement” pending a final resolution of the Kashmir dispute, was nothing short of a strategic giveaway to curry favor with Beijing. India has rejected the agreement, labeling it illegal, and maintains that Pakistan had no right to cede territory it did not legally own.

Despite the objections, China took full control of the area and has since built infrastructure to consolidate its presence.

Echoes of East Turkestan: Repeating the Occupation Playbook

The story of Chinese occupation in Kashmir closely mirrors its actions in East Turkestan (Xinjiang). Once a sovereign Islamic republic briefly in the 20th century, East Turkestan was annexed by China in 1949. Today, it is one of the most heavily surveilled regions in the world, home to mass internment camps, forced labor, religious persecution, and demographic engineering.

While Aksai Chin is unpopulated due to its harsh geography, the signs of China’s militarization, ethnic dominance, and infrastructure imposition are familiar tactics—clear hallmarks of Chinese expansionism. In both regions:

• China has altered maps unilaterally.

• It has silenced local voices and international outcry.

• It has leveraged strategic infrastructure (such as roads and military bases) to cement control.

Why Is the World Silent on China's Role in Kashmir?

The global silence on China’s occupation in Kashmir stems from several factors:

1. Economic Influence: China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), massive trade deals, and investments have given it economic leverage over much of the Global South—and even parts of the West.

2. Geopolitical Pragmatism: Many nations hesitate to antagonize China due to diplomatic sensitivities and global dependencies on Chinese manufacturing and technology.

3. Narrative Control: China’s tight media restrictions, digital censorship, and disinformation campaigns suppress meaningful discussion or investigation.

4. Overshadowed by Indo-Pak Conflict: The India-Pakistan rivalry over Kashmir consumes so much space in political discourse that China’s role is often treated as a side note, despite its enormous impact.

Legal and Ethical Dimensions of China's Occupation

Under international law, the principle of self-determination and the inadmissibility of acquiring territory by force are enshrined in the UN Charter. China’s military acquisition of Aksai Chin and acceptance of Pakistan’s gift of Shaksgam Valley violates these core principles.

Moreover, China's refusal to allow international observers, human rights watchdogs, or journalists to access these areas raises questions about what it is hiding, particularly regarding military deployment and environmental degradation in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.

The Path Forward: Reclaiming the Narrative

It is imperative that China’s occupation of Kashmir be acknowledged globally as part of the broader issue. Here’s what must happen:

• International institutions, including the UN, must investigate and address China's involvement as a third-party occupier.

• Media and academia should give equal attention to China's role, not just focus on India and Pakistan.

• Human rights activists and civil society must speak out for all occupied regions, whether in East Turkestan, Tibet, or Kashmir, ensuring consistency in the defense of justice and sovereignty.

• Diplomatic channels must be used to contest the Sino-Pakistan boundary agreement and demand that no party alters disputed borders unilaterally.

Conclusion: Occupation Is Occupation, No Matter Who Does It

For too long, the narrative around Kashmir has excluded one of its most significant actors: China. While the world rightfully debates the roles of India and Pakistan, it must also confront the reality of Chinese expansionism, which has quietly entrenched itself in the region through illegal occupation and strategic deals.

Just as the international community has begun to acknowledge the horrors unfolding in East Turkestan, it must now recognize and challenge China's unlawful presence in Kashmir. The silence of the global powers only enables further injustice, not just for Kashmir, but for all regions that face occupation under the shadow of geopolitical convenience.

It is time to confront every occupier and reclaim the truth that has been buried under decades of political maneuvering.