China’s high-profile 2nd Belt and Road Forum ended Saturday with the signing of deals worth USD 64 billion and affirming respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity towards Beijing’s trillion-dollar BRI projects, a key demand of India.
The forum in which 37 heads of the state and governmentstook part concluded with an announcement by Chinese President Xi Jinping thatcooperation agreements worth USD 64 billion were signed at a CEO conferenceduring the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) meeting.
A total of 283 items of practical outcomes were achievedduring the preparatory process and the holding of the forum, Xi said in astatement to the media after his round table meeting with the world leaders.
A joint statement issued at the end of the meetinghighlighted that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation should respectsopenness, transparency, inclusiveness and level playing field. It affirmed therespect for sovereignty.
“We respect sovereignty and territorial integrity ofeach other and affirm that each country has the right and primaryresponsibility to define its development strategies in accordance with itsnational priorities and legislation,” it said.
The reference for sovereignty and territorial integrity wassignificant in the context of India’s boycott of the BRI and BRF following itsprotests over the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) beinglaid through PaK, disregarding New Delhi’s objections.
China says it is an economic project and will not have anyimpact on sovereignty-related issues. The statement also carried an annexementioning names of “Economiccorridors and other projects catalysed and supported by connectivity”.
The CPEC, the Nepal-China Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensionalConnectivity Network, including Nepal-China cross-border railway andChina-Myanmar economic corridor figured in the list in the South Asian region.
The Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar (BCIM) corridor, whichhas been previously mentioned as part of the BRI, did not figure in the list.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was among the 37 leaderswho took part in the meeting.
Besides Khan, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari of Nepaland State Counsellor Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi attended the meeting from India’sneighbourhood.
Rest of the countries from South Asia were represented by ministerial and officials level delegations.