BEIJING – China said on Monday the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) doesn’t“involve territorial disputes” and is transparent, dismissing New Delhi’sconcerns that part of the connectivity project violates India’s sovereigntyas it passes through Azad Kashmir.
India is likely to be a high-profile absentee at the upcoming Belt and RoadForum for International Cooperation, which Beijing has touted to be thebiggest event of the year for China.
India has consistently kept away from the BRI – a massive project launchedby President Xi Jinping to connect China with Asia and Europe – becausethe CPEC passes through Azad Kashmir.
The BRI doesn’t respect India’s “core concerns” of sovereignty andterritorial integrity, the Indian envoy to China Vikram Mistri recentlytold state media.
China clearly doesn’t make much of India’s concerns.
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“As for the Indian comments on not participating in the BRI for variousreasons, I’d like to say that the BRI is an open and inclusive economiccooperation initiative.
It does not involve territorial and maritime disputes,” Chinese foreignministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at the regular ministry briefing onMonday.
