Economic cooperation, not against third party: China defends OBOR after US' reproval

China has rebutted American criticism of its One Belt, One Road (OBOR) infrastructure plan saying it had garnered the support of over 100 countries, and also defended the project's "flagship" corridor through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as "an economic cooperation initiative not against any third party".

In its strongest criticism of OBOR till date, US Defence Secretary James Mattis this week told a Congressional hearing, "In a globalised world, there are many belts and many roads, and no one nation should put itself into a position of dictating 'one belt, one road'. That said, the One Belt One Road also goes through disputed territory, and I think, that in itself shows the vulnerability of trying to establish that sort of a dictate."

India was the lone major absentee at China's May OBOR summit in Beijing, to which the US sent a high-level delegation. Since then, however, Washington's position appears to have shifted more closely to India's, underlined by the defence secretary's statement.

'NO CHANGE OF POSITION ON KASHMIR'

China on Friday rebutted his criticism, with the Foreign Ministry telling India Today in a statement: "As for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, we have reiterated many times that it is an economic cooperation initiative, and not against any third party. There exists no connection with territorial disputes and it does not affect China's principled position on the Kashmir issue."

The Foreign Ministry added to India Today that OBOR, in China's view, was raised by China but based "on the idea of jointly building through consultation to meet the interests of all."

The ministry said that "more than 100 countries and international organisations support and are involved" with OBOR and that over 70 countries had signed cooperation agreements with China. It also noted that "resolutions from the UN General Assembly and Security Council" had recognised the initiative.

The ministry added that over 130 countries and 70 organisations had attended the May Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, and had "highly appreciated the initiative and have expectations for further cooperation along with shared opportunities for growth."

"All the evidence above shows that the initiative conforms to the trend of our times," the statement added, "and accords with the interests of the people of all participating countries."