China on Monday once more defended its controversial $ 60 billion CPEC mission with Pakistan, defying India’s protests, saying it was an financial initiative and didn’t have an effect on its doctrinal stance on the Kashmir subject.
Leaders of China and Pakistan have praised the progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in latest occasions as each shut allies celebrated the completion of 70 years of their diplomatic relations.
India has protested in entrance of China over CPEC, the flagship mission of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), because it passes via Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The large-scale infrastructure mission connects China’s Xinjiang province to Gwadar port in Balochistan province of Pakistan.
China is defending the CPEC, saying it’s an financial mission not geared toward a 3rd nation.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, whereas answering questions on CPEC in a media briefing on Monday, mentioned that as one of many main tasks beneath BRI, CPEC has made vital and main progress in infrastructure, vitality, ports and industrial parks. is.
He mentioned that the Belt and Road initiative is an open worldwide financial cooperation initiative geared toward rising regional connectivity and reaching widespread improvement.
We are additionally increasing CPEC in regional nations together with Afghanistan. This is not going to solely promote fast financial improvement in Pakistan, however will even promote regional connectivity, ”he mentioned.
Asked how China sees regional prosperity by CPEC given India’s place because it passes via Pakistan’s illegally occupied Indian territory, Zhao mentioned the mission didn’t have an effect on China’s doctrinal place on Kashmir. .
“China has acknowledged its doctrinal place on Kashmir many occasions. CPEC is an financial initiative that doesn’t goal any third nation. He mentioned that this isn’t about territorial disputes and doesn’t have an effect on our doctrinal place on the difficulty of Kashmir.
On the enlargement of CPEC in Afghanistan, he mentioned, “China is discussing with third parties, including Afghanistan, on the involvement of third parties in CPEC.”
“Both sides are consulting via diplomatic channels. We noticed that Afghanistan imports and exports items via Gwadar and Karachi ports. He mentioned that high-speed highways are additionally being prolonged to Afghanistan.
In a message to his Pakistani counterpart Arif Alvi on Friday, on the seventieth anniversary of the institution of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations, President Xi Jinping mentioned that CPEC had achieved outstanding outcomes.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan mentioned at a high-level assembly in Islamabad that CPEC will carry financial progress not solely to Pakistan however to your entire area.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
