China is prepared to consider renaming the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) if it would end India’s reservations over its One Belt One Road (Or Belt and Road Initiative) passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Chinese Ambassador to India said here, insisting that the OBOR has no connection to “sovereignty disputes.”
The offer was made by Luo Zhaohui on Friday during a closed-door interaction at the United Services Institution, a military think-tank in Delhi.
Mr. Luo outlined a 4-point solution to “manage differences” between India and China, including a new treaty on cooperation, restarting talks on a free trade agreement (FTA), an early resolution to the border issue and aligning the B&R with India’s “Act East policy.”
Territorial dispute
“China has no intention to get involved in the sovereignty and territorial disputes between India and Pakistan,” Mr. Luo told the audience of mostly retired armed service officers.
“The CPEC is for promoting economic cooperation and connectivity. It has no connections to or impact on sovereignty issues. Even we can think about renaming the CPEC,” Mr. Luo said, referring to India’s public opposition to the inclusion of projects that lie in PoK’s area of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Contacted by The Hindu , the MEA did not respond to the ambassador’s comments. India has thus far refused to confirm or regret its attendance at China’s Belt and Road Forum to be held in Beijing on May 14-15. According to the Chinese government more than 100 countries will participate, and all SAARC countries minus India have already signed on to the 60-nation infrastructure initiative first proposed in 2013. No official Indian participation has been indicated so far.
Reports suggest the government has asked even non-governmental organisations, including business chambers and think-tanks to seek clearances before deciding to attend the forum. At an ADB conference on May 6, Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley had said he had no “hesitation in saying we have some serious reservations about it, because of sovereignty issues.”
Analysts say the change in name proposed by the Ambassador would not change India’s stand.
“The Ambassador’s tone was conciliatory, but the substance was not,” former Vice-Chief and now Director General of the Centre for Airpower Studies Vinod Patney, who attended the USI event, told The Hindu , adding, “As if changing the name of CPEC will make any difference to India’s concerns. It is a Chinese bluff”
In comments likely to upset India, Ambassador Luo also said that while China had supported India on the issue of terrorism, Pakistan “also suffered seriously from terrorism”, and suggested that he had personally “mediated” with Pakistan for action in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks,
“The development of China, India, Pakistan and the stability of the whole region call for a stable and friendly environment. Otherwise, how could we open up and develop? That’s why we say we are willing to mediate when India and Pakistan have problems.
But the precondition is that both India and Pakistan accept it,” Mr. Luo concluded.
