Position on Kashmir not affected by CPEC: China

TIL Desk/World/Beijing-China has said Kashmir is the leftover issue from history that both India and Pakistan need to settle through dialogue while adding that its position on the issue is not affected by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. The remarks were made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying while responding to a poser over China’s position on Pakistan declaring Gilgit-Baltistan, part of disputed Kashmir, its fifth province.

“On the Kashmir issue, China’s position is consistent and clear-cut. As a leftover issue from history between India and Pakistan, it needs to be properly settled through dialogue and consultation between the two sides. The development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor does not affect China’s position on the Kashmir issue,” she said during a press conference on Friday.

The CPEC passes through Gilgit-Baltistan, a region which India claims is part of their territory. Comprising a number of development projects, the multi-billion CPEC project will connect Pakistan and China through networks of roads and railways. The CPEC once completed will provide all-weather energy route for China from the Gulf.