KASHMIR DISPUTE NOT RELEVANT TO ROAD PROJECT, SAYS CHINA

KASHMIR STANCE UNCHANGED ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor not to affect Beijing’s position on the issue

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is not aimed at “third parties” and does not affect Beijing’s position on the Kashmir issue, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

President Xi Jinping initiated the Belt and Road Initiative as a roadmap for peace and he has said countries should respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the ministry added.

Referring to India’s decision to skip the two-day Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, the ministry said in a statement: “Regarding the issue of Kashmir, which the Indian side is concerned about, we have been stressing that the issue was left over from history between India and Pakistan, and should be properly addressed by the two sides through consultation and negotiation.

“The CPEC is an initiative on economic cooperation. It is not directed at any third parties, not relevant to disputes over territorial sovereignty and does not affect China’s position on the Kashmir issue.”

Quoting Xi’s keynote speech at the forum in Beijing on Sunday, the statement noted the president had said the Belt and Road initiative should be built into a “road for peace”. It added, “All countries should respect each other’s sovereignty, dignity and territorial integrity, each other’s development paths and social systems, and each other’s cores interests and major concerns.”

India did not attend the highprofile Belt and Road Forum held on Sunday and Monday because of its concerns over the CPEC passing through PoK.

On the second day of the forum, Xi inaugurated a roundtable summit with around 29 heads of states at the Yanqi Lake International Convention Centre. He spoke about hastening the process of connecting regions around the world through infrastructure projects. China will host the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2019, he announced.

The two-day forum, he said, had reached broad consensus and achieved positive outcomes. The BRI, he told reporters, will not base cooperation on ideological grounds but will be open and inclusive.

Xi said the initiative will work to ensure an open world economy, rebalance globalisation, and work towards trade liberalisation. It will also boost support for green and low-carbon development. On Sunday, Xi pledged $124 billion to the plan, and called for abandoning old models based on rivalry and diplomatic power games.

New Delhi officially had ruled out sending a delegation to the forum on Saturday. “No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. “Connectivity initiatives must follow principles of financial responsibility to avoid projects that would create unsustainable debt burden for communities.”

The foreign ministry’s statement, issued in response to India’s decision to stay away from the forum, attempted to explain the principles behind the BRI and to allay India’s fears.

“The BRI was proposed in 2013, and four years on, over 100 countries around the world and international organisations have supported and got involved in this initiative,” the foreign ministry said.