Shaksgam Valley Agreement
The Shaksgam Valley Agreement: A Brief History
The Shaksgam Valley Agreement, also known as the Sino-Pakistani Agreement, is a treaty signed between the governments of China and Pakistan on March 2, 1963. This agreement saw China cede over 1,942 square kilometers of territory to Pakistan in the Shaksgam Valley.
The Shaksgam Valley is a high-altitude region in Northern Pakistan, bordered by China`s Xinjiang region to the east and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the west. It has long been a disputed area, with India also laying claim to it as part of its territory.
The origins of the Shaksgam Valley dispute can be traced back to the 19th century, when the region was part of the Dogra kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir. In 1842, the British annexed the region and it remained part of British India until 1947, when India and Pakistan gained independence.
After independence, the dispute over the Shaksgam Valley continued between India and Pakistan. However, in 1959, China also laid claim to the territory, citing historical links to the region. This added a new dimension to the dispute, as China and India were already engaged in a border dispute over Aksai Chin.
In 1963, China and Pakistan signed the Shaksgam Valley Agreement, which effectively resolved the dispute between them. China agreed to cede the territory to Pakistan, in exchange for Pakistan recognizing China`s sovereignty over Aksai Chin.
The significance of the Shaksgam Valley Agreement lies in its impact on the India-China-Pakistan triad. With China and Pakistan forging closer ties, India found itself increasingly isolated. The agreement also laid the foundation for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major infrastructure project that seeks to connect China`s western regions to the Arabian Sea.
Today, the Shaksgam Valley remains an important strategic region, with China investing heavily in infrastructure such as roads, rail networks, and hydropower projects. While the dispute between India, Pakistan, and China over the region remains unresolved, the Shaksgam Valley Agreement stands as a testament to the complex geopolitics of the region.