‘It’s a win-win cooperation’: China defends building dam in PoK despite India’s strong protest
Earlier on Thursday, India registered a strong protest against Pakistan awarding the mega project to China, saying executing such projects in territories under Pakistan's illegal occupation was not proper.
Beijing: A day after seeing strong protest from India, China on Friday defended its decision to take up a mega-contract to build a dam in Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Chinese authorities called it a part of a “mutually beneficial and win-win” bilateral cooperation with Pakistan.
During a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, “China’s position on the issue of Kashmir is consistent. China and Pakistan conduct economic cooperation to promote economic development and improve the wellbeing of the local people.”
He went on to assert that this is mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation between the two countries.
Earlier on Thursday, India registered a strong protest against Pakistan awarding the mega project to China, saying executing such projects in territories under Pakistan’s illegal occupation was not proper.
The Ministry of External Affairs said, “Our position is consistent and clear that entire territory of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are and will continue to be integral and inalienable part of India.”
“We have consistently conveyed our protests and shared concerns with both Pakistan and China on all such projects in the Indian territories under Pakistan’s illegal occupation,” it added.
Pakistan, on Wednesday, signed a staggering contract worth Rs 442 billion ($5.8 billion) for a joint venture between Chinese state-run firm China Power and Pakistan military’s commercial arm Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).
The joint venture is the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam in Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
It should be noted that the two countries are also building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) worth $60 billion through PoK which connects both the countries. India has also objected to China over the CPEC as it traverses through PoK.[Agencies]