CPEC is connectivity project, doesn't involve Kashmir dispute: China

China today said India's stand on its multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is wavering, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a part of the project, does not involve any territorial dispute as claimed by New Delhi.

China has been reiterating that the US$ 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 organised by China in May. Reacting to a question on Russian Ambassador to India, Nikolay Kudashev's comments yesterday that India and China should resolve differences over the project, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said since this question is being asked repeatedly by the Indian media, "it shows India is quite wavering" over the BRI.

Hua also said, the CPEC does not involve any territorial dispute. "The BRI will bring benefits to more countries along the BRI. We also said many times that the CPEC is an economic cooperation not targeted at any third party and does not involve territorial disputes," Hua said. "We hope that countries and parties with shared vision will work with us to allow the practical cooperation to bring more benefits to our people. We remain open and inclusive to cooperation involving BRI," she said. Her comments as well as that of the remarks by Kudashev came ahead of the Russia, India, China (RIC) Foreign Ministers meeting expected to be held next month in New Delhi.

"The BRI will bring benefits to more countries along the BRI. We also said many CPEC corridor is an economic cooperation not targeted any third party and does not involve territorial dispute," Hua said. 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.