China and Saudi Arabia boycott G20 meeting hosted by India in disputed Kashmir region

Asia-Pacific, News May 24, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Despite the criticism from international rights groups and boycotts from G20 member states, India hosted more than 60 delegates for the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in the disputed Kashmir region.

Chinese representatives expressed strong disapproval and opposition against India for holding a key G20 meeting in the disputed territory and boycotted participation in the event. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that “China firmly opposes holding G-20 meetings in any form in disputed areas and will not attend such meetings.”

Saudi Arabia also boycotted the meeting while Turkey and Egypt showed their disapproval of holding a meeting in the disputed region of Kashmir and did not attend the G20 working group meeting in Srinagar.

Home to the Himalayan mountain range and beautiful scenic landscapes, Kashmir is a disputed territory between India, Pakistan, and China. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full while China claims some territories in the north part of the region. India controls a major share of the region through immense military deployment, including in Srinagar which is the venue of the G20 meeting, while Pakistan administers the western part of Kashmir. Lying at the crossroads of major nuclear powers, Kashmir is one of the most militarized regions in the world.

In 2019, India unilaterally revoked Kashmir’s special status and split the Muslim-majority Kashmir into two federally administered territories, the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh region. Ladakh is a disputed region between India and China and Jammu & Kashmir is disputed between India and Pakistan. This is the first time that India has organized an international event in the region after stripping Kashmir from its special status.

*^{Working Session for the 3rd Tourism Working Group Meeting in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. (Image Credit: Twitter/@g20org)}*

Given Kashmir’s security situation, the G20 tourism meeting was held under heavy security. Hundreds of personnel from elite security forces, including marine commandos, National Security Guards, and Border Security Forces took control of the streets of Srinagar weeks before the event started on May 22, 2023. Schools and other public places around the venue and routes of delegates were closed while several new military bunkers were added throughout the city to provide extra security.

Despite region-wide protest and volatile security situation, Secretary of India’s Ministry of Tourism Arvind Singh said in an official statement, the meeting has been arranged in Srinagar to showcase Kashmir’s “potential for tourism” and to “signal globally the restoration of stability and normalcy in the region.”

Pakistan’s reaction

Although Pakistan is not a member of the G20 bloc, it is a major stakeholder in affairs related to Kashmir and challenges India’s stance on the region on all forums. Pakistan has criticized India’s decision to hold the meetings in Kashmir, calling it an “irresponsible” move.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari strongly condemned New Delhi for “abusing their presidency of the G20 to push their colonial agenda”, adding that “if they think that by holding one event in occupied Kashmir they can silence the voice of the Kashmiri people, then I believe that they are truly mistaken.”

India assumed the year-long presidency of the G20 on December 1, 2022, and is hosting the G20 summit for the first time.