Why China is interested in resolving Kashmir issue: Global Times
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China has a vested interest in resolving the elongated Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, emphasised an opinion published in Chinese daily Global Times on Monday.
“Given the massive investment that China has made in countries along the One Belt, One Road, China now has a vested interest in helping resolve regional conflicts including the dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan,” read the piece.
China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, but that doesn’t mean Beijing can turn a deaf ear to the demands of Chinese enterprises in protecting their overseas investments, the op-ed further reads.
The column suggested that Chinese experience in mediating between Myanmar and Bangladesh can result in better understanding of the disputes which might be helpful for other conflicts in South Asia.
“By playing the role of a mediator between Myanmar and Bangladesh, China can gather experience, which could perhaps serve as a prelude to future efforts by China to engage in regional affairs in South Asia and Southeast Asia,” it said.
The article sheds lights on how China’s position as a country which can be influential for the regional power balance. “China has been at the centre of a regional power shift, thus the country now needs to learn how to act as a stabilising force and conflict mediator in the region,” the piece goes on to say.
Giving importance and highlighting the sensitivity of Kashmir dispute, the Chinese daily’s opinion read: ”… mediating between India and Pakistan over Kashmir issue would perhaps be one of the toughest challenges facing China in dealing with regional affairs to safeguard its overseas interests.”
Recently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also urged Pakistan and India to settle the dispute of Kashmir once and for all through talks.
In an interview ahead of his visit to India, he stressed the need for a negotiated settlement of the long-standing Kashmir issue.
