Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into 2 Union Territories on Thursday. China has said the move is unlawful and affects its sovereignty. India has now hit back saying China should stay of India's internal matters

China has said India's big move to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories is "unlawful and void" and it affects Beijing's sovereignty. India has now hit back saying China should avoid commenting on matters that are internal for India and Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir are integral parts of the country.

"We expect other countries to respect India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China continues to be in occupation of a large tract of area in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh," said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday.

"It has illegally acquired Indian territories from PoK under so called China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963," he said.

"We do 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 Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh are integral part of India," the MEA said.

Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated on Thursday into two union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh -- in accordance with the Indian government's August 5 announcement revoking the state's special status under Article 370.

China had earlier objected to the Indian government's August 5 order of the revocation of Article 370 and the formation of Ladakh as Union Territory, saying that some of the area involved Chinese territory.

"The Indian government officially announced the establishment of so-called Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union Territories which included some of China's territory into its administrative jurisdiction," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told the media in Beijing on Thursday.

"China deplores and firmly opposes that. India unilaterally changed its domestic laws and administrative division challenging China's sovereignty," he said.

India has hit back and said that China continues to be in occupation of a large tract of area in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Asserting that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral part of India, the MEA spokesperson said India expects other countries to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.