Beijing, Delhi mull joint projects in Afghanistan

KABUL, media reports said on Sunday.

At an informal meeting in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hu province, President Xi Jinping and visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to move beyond their differences on Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

India Today quoted Indian and Chinese officials as saying both sides signaled their willingness to implement bilateral and regional connectivity projects in the conflict-torn country.

In 2010, New Delhi and Beijing considered working together on infrastructure projects in Afghanistan. However, this understanding is yet to be translated in action.

“A senior Chinese official confirmed there was discussion and agreement on taking forward regional projects in third countries. There are more joint projects in the region in the pipeline," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said.

While playing down rifts on the BRI, he said China was not concerned with India. He stopped short of explicitly backing the initiative as long as they shared common interests on connectivity.

Both nations are said to be working on the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor, which Beijing views as an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative. "India does not oppose the BCIM and is in fact cooperating with us on it."

Additionally, India is the second biggest shareholder after China in the Beijing-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Kong said the two leaders did not talk did not discuss the specifics of the Belt and Road, but many things they planned to do were in keeping with objectives behind the Belt and Road Initiative.

Pan Monitor/mud