China should consult India to build road through PoK as part of CPEC, says Chinese scholar

A leading Chinese scholar said in Pune that China should not build a road through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Shen Dingli, associate dean at Shanghai-based Fudan University’s Institute of International Studies, was speaking at a session titled ‘Emerging World Order’ at the ongoing Pune Dialogue on National Security and said that PoK is disputed territory.

“China should consult with India if it is okay to build a road in ‘PoK (Pakistan-controlled Kashmir)’. The Chinese should not build the road in the disputed territory because it is under dispute between India and Pakistan. But why does China fail to ask? We should consult together and build it together. Why only consult with Pakistan and not India?” he said.

Talking about the recent Dokalam stand-off, he said Dokalam is a disputed place between China and Bhutan, so China should not build infrastructure there.

India and China should resolve their border issues through “give and take”, Shen said.Wang Dong, another Chinese scholar, said India and China hold the key to shape the emerging world order.“If we can effectively manage our differences, we can take steps further,” he said.

Shaida Mohammad Abdali, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to India, said India has been fighting terrorism for decades, but was not allowed to join in the global anti-terrorism fight earlier, else the situation would have been different.