There was some speculation that China, because of its trade spat with the US, economic slow-down and trouble in Hong Kong, may not pile-up pressure on India. Contrary to such assessments, Beijing has sharply criticised the changes to Jammu and Kashmir. The criticism had three components: first, China refrained from referring to Ladakh explicitly. Instead, it referred to Ladakh as its’ ‘territory in the western sector’; second, Indian legislative changes were termed as “as an attempt to undermine Chinese sovereignty”; Third, China said the changes to India’s domestic law are “unacceptable and will not come into force.” Chinese response indicates that it is not responding as a strategic partner of Pakistan but as an aggrieved party that has a legitimate claim on the Ladakh region.