The $56 billion Pak-China economic corridor passes through disputed territory: US

AVA- The US Secretary of Defense James Mattis informed regarding Washington’s opposition regarding the Pakistan and China Economic Corridor (CPEC) as he was speaking to the US congress last week.

“The One Belt, One Road also goes through disputed territory, and I think that in itself shows the vulnerability of trying to establish that sort of a dictate,” Secretary Mattis was quoted as saying by the local newspaper, Dawn News.

According to the report, Mattis has said the US oppo­sed the One Belt, One Road policy in principle because in a globalised world, there were many belts and many roads, and no one nation shou­­ld put itself into a position of dictating One Belt, One Road.

Secretary Mattis further added the US opposed the one going through Pakistan also because it passed throu­­gh a disputed territory.

According to reports, CPEC is expected to be built in the northern parts of Pakistan with a total budget expected to reach to $56 billion.

However, India has opposed the establishment of the corridor as the country insists that the route of the corridor lies in the disputed area and belongs to Jammu and Kashmir.