China Wants To Link CPEC-BCIM Corridor Under BRI

Trade & Policy

China Wants To Link CPEC-BCIM Corridor Under BRI

China said it is ready to wait some more time for India to shed its "misgivings" and join the Belt and Road Initiative, a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Beijing also emphasised that integration of the US$ 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), over which India has raised objections as it passes through Pak Occupied Kashmir (PoK) with the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor will synergise its mega Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

"I have to point out that some persons in India have misgivings and doubts about the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "The BRI is an important opportunity. The facts have proven that one will benefit more if one can participate in this initiative as early as possible," he said.

Geng said the CPEC and the BCIM are both important projects under the BRI. "If they can be jointly advanced and integrated to form a synergy with other projects of the BRI they will be able to bring more benefits and welfare to the local people," he said.

Geng was responding to a question on the recent document called 'Vision for Maritime Co-operation under the Belt and Road Initiative' released by the Chinese government which has proposed to connect CPEC and BCIM corridors.

The document said, "In line with the priorities of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, China will deepen ocean cooperation by fostering closer ties with countries along the Road. Ocean co-operation will focus on building the China-Indian Ocean-Africa-Mediterranean Sea Blue Economic Passage, by linking the China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor, running westward from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, and connecting the CPEC and BCIM."

The Belt and Road initiative includes a maze of roads and port projects. While CPEC is highlighted as a "flagship project", BRI also includes the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor, New Eurasian Land Bridge, China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor and 21st century Maritime Silk Road.