China rejected India’s concerns over China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and said that the economic cooperation initiative is not directed at third parties and has nothing to do with territorial sovereignty disputes. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said during her regular press briefing, said that ‘We understand India’s concerns on this issue. We have said many times that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an economic cooperation initiative that is not directed at third parties and has nothing to do with territorial sovereignty disputes. The spokesperson said that the Belt and Road Initiative is an open and inclusive framework of cooperation. “We hope that countries liking the OBOR initiative can work together for common development, cooperation and development for the benefit of the people with like-minded countries,” she added.
Hua Chunying said that since the proposal of One Belt and One Road” put forward by President Xi Jinping in the autumn of 2013, the OBOR has progressed smoothly and with fruitful results. It has been widely recognised and supported by the international community and more and more countries are actively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, she added.
The spokespersons further said that the recently-concluded 19th CPC National Congress clearly pointed out that it is necessary to actively promote international cooperation in the Belt and Road and its inclusion in the party constitution shows that China attaches great importance to the OBOR initiative.
“We must continue to firmly promote the determination and confidence in international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative,” she added. She said that it is believed that with the continuous deepening of the Belt and Road construction, it will not only create more room for the opening up of China, but also bring greater opportunities for the development of all countries and the global economy. We stand ready to work together with all parties to uphold the principle of consultation, building and sharing, continuously promote the development of the One Belt and One Road, strengthen the mutual development strategies and pragmatic cooperation in various fields so that international cooperation on the OBOR will be better, faster and more extensive access to B&R countries, she further added. Process of economic integration at international is underway due to globalization and economic blocs are emerging at regional and international level. CPEC is a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road initiative and it will not only benefit China and Pakistan but also the whole region will get its fruits. Indian’s reservations regarding CPEC are not correct as it is creating hurdles only for its vested interest.
