A Chinese worker waits near trucks carrying goods during the opening of a trade project in Gwadar port. (Photo : Getty Images)
China has been advised make peace with India to allow the unhampered operation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is the express link that connects Western China to the Middle East and Africa.
An article published in Forbes said that the CPEC is an essential part of China's vision to set the rules for the next stage of globalization and spur growth for its export and investment engines. The country has pledged to invest about $46 billion to the project.
But CPEC passes through the Kashmir regions being claimed by both Pakistan and India, which had been long fighting for control of the territory, the article said.
While China is working with Pakistan in the CPEC, the article said it did little to appease India, whose efforts to join the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) were repeatedly blocked by China.
In addition to that, India also claimed that China openly supported Pakistan in the India-Pakistan Kashmir standoff, judging by statements of Chinese senior officials who spoke during the sidelines of the ongoing 71st session of United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to the article, this was also the reason why India supported the U.S. in the South China Sea disputes.
The article warned that the situation could get worse as the CPEC route may be disrupted by pro-Indian forces in Pakistan, which could raise the possibility of an open confrontation between Pakistan, with China on its side, and India and its allies.
Separatists from the Baloch Liberation Army operate in the region, where cases of abduction and killings are rise. In March last year, rebels burned oil tankers owned by Chinese companies in the region.
During a bilateral meeting in September, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concerns about the project to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
India has reportedly signed a bilateral agreement with Iran to develop the port in Chabahar, as a response to the Gwadar development project funded by China.
