India has hit back at China after it called the separation of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh into two separate Union Territories "unlawful and void". In a strongly-worded statement the Ministry of External Affairs also called out China for its illegal occupation of parts of Jammu and Kashmir, stating: "We do not expect other countries, including China, to comment on matters that are internal to India, just as India refrains from commenting on the internal issues of other countries."