Sri Lanka backs India's concern over Kashmir in China's OBOR project

Sri Lanka, which attended the just concluded Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, has backed India's concern over the Kashmir issue, saying it is difficult for New Delhi to accept the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it goes through the "heart of Indian interests".

India, which skipped the high-profile meeting, would have joined "very happily" in the One Belt and One Road (OBOR) initiative of China, said Sarath Amanugama. “Unfortunately, the issue is going through the heart of Indian interests”.

“If it is some uncontested region, India would have negotiated its way out. Here especially the Kashmir issue getting dragged into it, makes it difficult for India to be flexible," Amanugama, who accompanied Lankan Prime Minister Wickramasinghe to the two-day forum in Beijing, told Indian news agency PTI.

To promote a vision of expanding links between Asia, Africa and Europe underpinned by billions of dollars in infrastructure investment, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the initiative in 2013.

India earlier expressed its reservations for the CPEC.  Bangladesh joined it last year during Xi’s visit to Dhaka when he promised a massive funding for infrastructure development.

A new UNESCAP report has suggested a “thorough cost-benefit analyses” of the infrastructure projects under this initiative. Despite multiple benefits, the initiative may bring about some potential risks to the countries with special needs, the report said.

Bangladesh’s Minister for Industries Amir Hossain Amu represented the country at the forum.

Chinese Ambassador Ma Mingqiang, however, in Dhaka, said the belt and road initiative is “an answer” to the current global crisis ranging from infrastructure bottleneck to lack of fund and protectionism and unilateralism.

“How to address those issues and ensure peace and sustainable development, belt and road initiative in my eye is one of the solutions proposed by China.”