India skips the Belt and Road Forum

NEW DELHI, May 14 (APD )-- On Saturday, India issued an official statement sharing that it would not attend the

Belt

and Road Forum, hosted by China.

Gopal Baglay, Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson explained, "Guided by our principled position in the matter, we have been urging China to engage in a meaningful dialogue on its connectivity initiative.”

Primarily, India opposes China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a leading project of China's Belt and the Road Initiative, as it passes through Gilgit and Baltistan of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which is a disputed area between India and Pakistan since 1947.

As

China stated, the Belt and Road Initiative is open to all, with results for all.

A total of 56 economic and trade cooperation zones have been set up by Chinese businesses in Belt and Road countries, generating nearly 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in tax revenue and creating 180,000 local jobs.

It is not surprising the initiative has won support from more than 100 countries and international organizations.

The two-day forum in Beijing, attended by 29 foreign heads of state and government leaders, will provide a platform to do the job.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)