On CPEC, US backs India, says it crosses ‘disputed’ territory

The Trump administration has informed Congress that it too believes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes through a disputed territory — originally an India claim aimed at thwarting the development plan.

“The One Belt, One Road also goes through disputed territory, and I think that in itself shows the vulnerability of trying to establish that sort of a dictate,” US Defence Secretary James Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes through Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), over which India has conveyed its protests to China. The area covers Karakoram mountain ranges, including the Siachen glacier.

Secretary Mattis and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joseph Dunford appeared before the Senate and House armed services panel earlier this week to brief US lawmakers on the current situation in the Pak-Afghan region.

Secretary Mattis said the US opposed the One Belt, One Road policy in principle because in a globalised world, there were many belts and many roads, and no one nation should put itself into a position of dictating One Belt, One Road. And it opposed the one going through Pakistan also because it passed through a disputed territory.

“As far as Afghanistan goes, as we try to separate out variables where, in some areas, we work with China, for example, terrorism — I think there are areas where we can work — find common ground with China when it comes to counterterrorism, and we should exercise those areas pretty fully,” said the US defence chief.

“But we should be under no illusions,” he warned. “There are areas where, also, strategically, we need to confront China where we think it’s unproductive — the direction they’re going in.”

Mattis was responding to a question from Senator Charles Peters over OBOR and China’s policy in this regard. “The OBOR strategy seeks to secure China’s control over both the continental and the maritime interest, in their eventual hope of dominating Eurasia and exploiting natural resources there, things that are certainly at odds with US policy. So what role do you see China playing in Afghanistan, and particularly related to their OBOR,” Peter had asked.

India skipped the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in May this year due to its sovereignty concerns over the CPEC, a flagship project of China's prestigious Silk Road project, officially called OBOR.

The 3,000 km long CEPC is aimed at connecting the China and Pakistan with rail, road, pipelines and optical cable fiber network. It connects China's Xinjiang province with Pakistan Gwadar port, providing access to China to the Arabian Sea.

The project, when completed, would enable China to pump its oil supplies from the Middle East through pipelines to Xinjiang cutting considerable distance for Chinese ships to travel to China.