India’s boycott of OBOR ‘regrettable’: Chinese media

TIL Desk/World/Beijing/ India’s refusal to join China’s high-profile Belt and Road initiative is ‘regrettable’ but New Delhi’s boycott will not at all affect the cooperation in infrastructure development among its neighbouring countries, a report in a Chinese state-run newspaper said on Monday.

The two-day Belt and Road Forum which is being attended by leaders from 29 countries, including Pakistan, has been boycotted by India due to sovereignty concerns over the $50 billion (Rs 3.25 lakh crore) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

‘While India recently issued an official statement saying it would not be part of the ‘One Belt and One Road’ (B&R) initiative, it will not affect the trend towards cooperation in infrastructure development among its neighbouring countries at all,’ Global Times said on Monday.

‘India was openly sceptical of Chinas Belt and Road Forum hours ahead of the opening of the event, mainly due to concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a key project of the B&R, and whether it might influence the disputed Kashmir region,’ it said.