Queency Jain
China, who is currently working with Pakistan on USD 60 million China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, has defended the project by claiming it to be an economic initiative thereby not changing its principled stand on Kashmir Issue.
As China and Pakistan completed 70 years of their diplomatic relations, the leaders of both the countries are praising the project.
India has been protesting against the project as it traverses through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The massive infrastructure project connects China’s Xinjiang province with Gwadar port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
Zhao Lijian, foreign minister spokesperson said during a press conference that the project is a development project aiming at major progress in infrastructure, energy, ports and industrial parks.
The Spokesperson further told that they are extending CPEC to reginal countries like Afghanistan also in order to faster economic development and regional connectivity.
While on the stand of Kashmir, the spokesperson stated, “It is not about territorial disputes and does not affect our principled position on the issue of Kashmir.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during a high level meeting in Islamabad has earlier clarified that the project aims at economic progress not only in the Pakistan but in the entire region.