India and China got into a diplomatic spat on Thursday after China termed the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir “unlawful”, forcing New Delhi to re-assert its claim over territories illegally occupied by Beijing.

As the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories came into effect on Thursday, China termed the move “unlawful” and “void”. New Delhi reacted strongly, reiterating that both the newly-created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh were an integral part of India. New Delhi said that it expected other countries to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.

New Delhi also re-asserted its claim on India’s territories illegally occupied by China.

“China continues to be in occupation of a large tract of the area in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in New Delhi. “It has also illegally acquired Indian territories from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) under the so-called China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963. The matter of reorganisation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is entirely an internal affair of India,” the MEA spokesperson said in New Delhi. Kumar said India did not expect other countries, including China, to comment on the matters which are internal to India, just as India refrains from commenting on internal issues of other countries.

The war of words between New Delhi and Beijing comes just weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for an “informal summit” near Chennai on October 11 and 12.

“The Indian government officially announced the establishment of so-called Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory and Ladakh Union Territory that included some of China’s territory into its administrative jurisdiction. China deplores and firmly opposes that,” Geng Shuang, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chinese Government, said in Beijing.

“India unilaterally changes its domestic laws and administrative divisions challenging China’s sovereignty. This is unlawful and void and this is not effective in any way and will not change that fact that the area is under Chinese actual control,” said Geng.

Beijing also called upon New Delhi to “earnestly respect” territorial sovereignty of China, abide by China-India treaties, “uphold peace and tranquillity in the border areas and create favourable conditions for proper settlement” of the boundary dispute.

China also asked the dispute over J&K be settled peacefully through the United Nations charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and other bilateral treaties.