New Delhi: In a subtle hint at India’s concerns, China said that its plan to include Afghanistan into China-Pakistan Economic Corridor did not ‘target’ a third party.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying clarified that the CPEC expansion and recently held trilateral talks between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan would ‘benefit the whole region’.
While she did not mention India directly, Chunying was responding to a question on India’s concerns regarding CPEC’s extension to Afghanistan.
“In order to realize a large-scale connectivity under the Belt and Road initiative, the three parties agreed to identify concrete cooperation projects to achieve common development and security as well as regional peace and stability," she said on the expansion plans.
The statement comes as the second air corridor between India and Afghanistan was inaugurated on Thursday to facilitate better transport of goods from India. Afghanistan exports fruits, dry fruits, seeds, handicrafts among other things from India.