*KOLKATA – *A top Chinese envoy to India has attempted to deflect India’sdirect concerns on the strategic One Belt, One Road project by attributinga large portion of the work that needs to be done to other Asian nations –and not only to the communist nation.

“OBOR was born in China but it runs through a whole lot of East Asiancountries and it is important to note that wherever OBOR goes, they sharediscussions, share instructions among them,” Chinese Consul General inKolkata Ma Zhanwu said at an event organised by the “independent” thinktank Observer Research Foundation.

India has expressed strong reservations against the China-Pakistan EconomicCorridor (CPEC), a key segment of the OBOR, as the 3,000-kilomtre-longcorridor passes through Asad Kashmir meaning India will under nocircumstances accept the project.

“It (OBOR) is not China’s solo project but a kind of a symphony of allcountries,” Ma said.

The $50 billion CPEC connects Kashgar in western China with Gwadar port inPakistan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has put his weight behind the OBOR as thecommunist nation works to expand its influence across Asia and beyond. Xiwas made China’s president for life after the ruling Communist Partyamended the constitution in March.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was made China’s president for life after theruling Communist Party amended the constitution in March (AFP)In his speech at the opening session of the China-led non-profit Boao Forumfor Asia earlier this week, Xi had said the OBOR will benefit the world.”China has no geopolitical calculationslink>,seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others,” hehad said in an apparent attempt to defuse tension that China is using theOBOR to expand its influence.

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held in Octoberlast year, had also introduced several reforms.

“A lot of precise decisions have been taken in the 19th party congress ofthe CPC considering the goal of turning China into a prosperous… andbeautiful country,” Ma said at the event organised on the theme “Post 19thCPC, Institutional Changes in PRC”.

He said the biggest challenge for the Chinese government is to bridge theincome inequality. “…there are about four crore people living in poverty,so every year we need to pull out nearly 1.3-1.4 crore Chinese out ofpoverty to meet our national target. It is a huge task. The main need is tobalance the inadequate or unbalanced development of the economy,” he said.