Modi raises India's concern over CPEC with Xi

Hangzhou, Sep 4: India today raised its concern with China over the CPEC which runs through PoK, and terrorism "emanating from the region" as Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Chinese President Xi Jinping the two countries need to be "sensitive" to each other's strategic interests.

Asserting that fight against terror should not be motivated by "political considerations", Modi said it is of "paramount importance that we respect each other's aspirations, concerns and strategic interests" to ensure durable bilateral ties.

In the bilateral meeting with Xi ahead of the G20 summit, Modi raised India's concerns over the USD 46 billion China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through PoK. 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 PoK.

Replying to a question whether the terrorism emanating from the region where the CPEC is being laid through has been discussed, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters the issue has been raised during the meeting.

Modi said both India and China need to be "sensitive" to each other's strategic interests and called for specific actions to "prevent growth of negative perception". "As a matter of principle, both countries would have to be sensitive to each other's strategic interests," Swarup said while touching upon broad themes that Modi stressed upon during his nearly 30-minute bilateral with Xi, their eighth meeting.

"In order to promote positive convergence, we would also need to prevent growth of negative perception. For this, the specific actions by both countries would play the major role," he said.

In particular, Modi highlighted that "we have succeeded in maintaining peace and tranquility on the border", he added. Condemning the recent suicide bomb attack on the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, in his opening remarks, Modi said it is yet another proof of the continuing scourge of terrorism.

"The Prime Minister reiterated that our response to terror must not be motivated by political considerations," Swarup said. On his part, Xi said China is willing to work with India to maintain their "hard-won sound" ties and further boost bilateral cooperation.

"China is willing to work with India to maintain their hard-won sound relations and further advance their cooperation", state-run Chinese Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying. About the bilateral relations, which experienced turbulence due to differences over a raft of issues, Modi said in order to make the Asian century a reality, the countries of the continent would have to take responsibility.

The meeting came amid differences over including listing of Pakistan-based terrorist organisations in the UN, China stalling India's membership at the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the CPEC being built through PoK.

PTI