India ‘no’ to Chinese road project
India refused to back China's Belt and Road project at the Shanghai summit which ended in the Chinese city of Qingdao on Sunday. The name of all member countries, except India, figured in the relevant paragraph of the joint declaration endorsing Beijing's multi-billion dollar project.
India on earlier occasions too has not shown support for the project, the key artery of which goes through the part of Kashmir that is in possession of Pakistan.
Earlier in the day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said New Delhi supported connectivity but not at the cost of sovereignty and territorial integrity. ‘‘We welcome new connectivity projects that are inclusive, sustainable and transparent and those that respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations," the PM said. Pakistan Economic Corridor violates India's sovereignty as it through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were among those who reaffirmed their support for the 'Belt and Road Initiative.'
The 3,000-km CPEC is aimed at connecting China and Pakistan with rail, road, pipelines and optical fibre cable networks. It will connect Xinjiang province with Gwadar port, providing China with access to the Arabian Sea. The project, when completed, would enable China to route its oil supplies from the Middle East through pipelines to Xinjiang, cutting considerable distance for Chinese ships to travel to China
Modi was the first leader to address the SCO following host Xi Jinping's opening
address, during which the Chinese President congratulated India and Pakistan as the group's two newest members.
Modi also unveiled his latest acronym, which he called SECURE. "S stands for security of our citizens, E stand for economic development for all, C is connecting the region, U is uniting our people, R is respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and E is for environment protection."