BEIJING: China today said it was open to inclusive cooperation on its multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), reiterating that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which is a part of the project does not involve any territorial disputes as claimed by India.
China has been reiterating that the USD 50 billion CPEC which traverses through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is a connectivity project and will not affect its stand that the Kashmir issue should be resolved between India and Pakistan through talks.
India has objected to the CPEC as it is being laid through the disputed territory and boycotted a high-profile Belt and Road Forum organized by China in May.
“We remain quite open and inclusive to cooperation involving the BRI,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here today reacting to remarks by Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev in New Delhi that Moscow prefers India and China to resolve their differences on the BRI.
“The BRI will bring benefits to more countries along the BRI. We also said CPEC corridor is an economic cooperation not targeted any third party and does not involve territorial dispute,” Hua said.
Hua since the BRI was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. Its progress was smooth.
“It has won the widespread support from the international community and increasing number of countries have engaged in it,” she said.
The recently concluded once-in-a-five-year Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) included the BRI in its Constitution.
“We believe that the BRI will create more room for China’s opening up and development and present more opportunities for global economic development,” she said.-PTI
