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TNN
May 10, 2017
BEIJING/NEW DELHI: Following protests from Pakistan, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi edited out a portion of a recent speech delivered by Chinese ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui about renaming the China Pakistan Economic Corridor+ (CPEC) to accommodate Indian concerns.
The changes were made in the transcript of the speech posted on the Chinese embassy website.
Addressing the United Services Institution (USI) in New Delhi, Luo had said, “Even we can think about renaming the CPEC. This is an example of China taking care of India’s concern.” He had gone on to add, “China has no intention to get involved in the sovereignty and territorial disputes between India and Pakistan.”
The changes were made in the transcript of the speech posted on the Chinese embassy website.
Addressing the United Services Institution (USI) in New Delhi, Luo had said, “Even we can think about renaming the CPEC. This is an example of China taking care of India’s concern.” He had gone on to add, “China has no intention to get involved in the sovereignty and territorial disputes between India and Pakistan.”
India has objected to CPEC on the ground that would pass through Pakistanoccupied Kashmir. It contended that by calling such a corridor a China-Pakistan link, Beijing was rejecting India’s claim in the area, and interfering with its sovereignty.
In his USI address, Lou had said China could even rename CPEC into a China-Pakistan-India corridor. Afterwards, he was questioned by USI chairperson, former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal, on his “offer”. Luo suggested they could run the corridor through J&K as well and tag India’s name to the project. “It was totally disingenuous,” said a listener, “by pretending to underplay India’s objections based on sovereignty”.
The Chinese “offer” was received with alarm and indignation in Pakistan and derision in India. Pakistani media reports said the Nawaz Sharif government sought a clarification from China. Afterwards, the relevant sentences were quietly dropped from the transcript of the speech put up on the Chinese embassy website.
In the past few weeks, the Chinese ambassador and his deputy have gone out of their way to entice India into joining the One Belt, One Road project. China is setting much stock by the OBOR summit in Beijing which starts on May 14. India has refused to send any representation to the summit, having expressed deep reservations about the project.
India’s absence is a problem for China, because it’s participation would actually be key to the success of the initiative.
India’s absence is a problem for China, because it’s participation would actually be key to the success of the initiative.
