(TibetanReview.net, Apr29’19) – China appeared to have sought to indicate that it will accept Jammu & Kashmir as well as Arunachal Pradesh as parts of India if it joined its globally ambitious geostrategic Belt and Road Initiative projects. Ahead of the second edition of its BRI Summit, China produced a promotional map showing these states as part of India and also portrayed the peninsular territory as part of the BRI.
However, after reports emerged that the map misrepresented China’s stated position on Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and Arunachal Pradesh, and it became clear that India would continue its boycott of the summit, the map was removed from its website.
India has been opposed to the idea of joining the BRI projects such as CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) which run through in PoK and therefore violate India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
This was cited by India for its boycott of the first BRI summit held in 2017. Beijing wanted India to at least represent itself at the forum, but New Delhi declined, reported indiatoday.in Apr 27.
China recently destroyed thousands of maps, commercially printed for third countries, which showed Arunachal Pradesh as part of India.
China launched an armed invasion to take Arunachal Pradesh in 1962 but withdrew after about a month. But in recent years it has taken to call it South or Southern Tibet.
