CPEC not targeted at any third country: China

Asserting that its ambitious USD 46 billion economic corridor is not targeted at any third country, China today said it will work with Pakistan to ensure "smooth running" of the strategic project.
"The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a new cooperation framework set up by the two countries for the future development of bilateral cooperation across the board. Not targeted at any third country," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
Skirting the question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on Balochistan's troubled human rights situation, Hua declined to comment on one of China's prominent official think tanks warning that China and Pakistan will initiate "joint steps" if any "Indian factor" is found to disrupt the CPEC.

"I don't want to comment on remarks of some scholars," she said.
She also skirted response to the questions about India and the US expressing concerns over the human rights violations in Balochistan, the troubled Pakistani province through which the economic corridor would pass connecting China's Muslim-majority Xinjiang province to Gwadar port.
But at the same time she said China will work with Pakistan for smooth running of the CPEC.

"The corridor is conducive to promoting regional connectivity as well as peace, stability and development. China is willing to work alongside Pakistan to ensure the smooth running of the corridor," she said.

While China is maintaining official silence on Modi's remarks on Balochistan during the Independence Day speech, it however riled the official Chinese strategic think tanks who were vocal in asserting that China will resort joint action with Pakistan against India for any disruption to the CPEC.
"My personal view is that if India is adamant and if Indian factor is found by China or Pakistan in disrupting the process of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor), if that becomes a reality, it will really become a disturbance to China-India relations, India-Pakistan relations," South Asia expert Hu Shisheng said yesterday.
Besides a host of energy-related projects, the CPEC consists of rail, road and pipelines to ferry oil and gas from Gwadar port to Kashghar in Xinjiang through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).