A week after a proposal by Chinese envoy to India to rename the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to address New Delhi's concerns, Beijing has hinted that it \mayn rename CPEC if India joins OBOR initiative.
China's ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui during an interaction with experts on Chinese affairs and students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) last week offered to rename the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as well as build an alternative corridor through Jammu and Kashmir.
However, On Lu's reported remark about building an alternative corridor through Jammu and Kashmir, the foreign ministry said, "China is ready to strengthen connectivity with all neighbouring countries and promote regional economic cooperation and common prosperity".
According to The Times of India, the Chinese ministry neither endorsed or denied Luo's statement, indicating that it may be willing to discuss the issue with New Delhi while ensuring that the move does not affect its ties with Pakistan.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also said China s stand is that the CPEC is an economic cooperation initiative and has 'nothing to do with territorial sovereignty disputes'. The CPEC "does not affect China and Pakistan's position on the Kashmir issue," it said.
India skipped the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in May this year due to its sovereignty concerns over the nearly $ 60 billion CPEC, a flagship project of China's prestigious One Belt One Road (OBOR), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
India has raised concerns over the project as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The CPEC is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking southern Pakistan, and the Gwadar Port, to China's restive Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region.
In his address to the United Services Institution in New Delhi on May 5, Luo Zhaohui had echoed similar views.
His remarks were, however, subsequently removed from the transcript of his address posted on the website of the Chinese Embassy amid reports that Pakistan sought a clarification on it.
