Beijing:China has reiterated that Pakistan and India need to settle the issue of Kashmir by resuming dialogue.
“China’s stand on the disputed valley will not be affected by China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a routine press conference in Beijing.

“On the Kashmir issue, China’s position is consistent and clear-cut,” Hua Chunying said.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson added, “As a leftover issue from history between India and Pakistan, it needs to be properly settled through dialogue and consultation between the two sides.”

“The development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor does not affect China’s position on the Kashmir issue,” she said while answering a question concerning India’s protest against Pakistan’s plan to declare Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) a part of Kashmir.

Earlier this week, Beijing said it looks forward to the early accession of Pakistan and India to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as full members so they could work with other members for the security, stability, development and prosperity of the region. The CPEC project focuses on road building and energy infrastructure to end chronic power shortages in Pakistan and to link China’s landlocked north-west with the deep-water port Gwadar on the Arabian Sea.