Kolkata: A top Chinese envoy to India has attempted to allay India’s direct concerns on the strategic One Belt, One Road project by attributing a huge portion of the work that is to be completed to other Asian nations and does not rely upon the communist nation.

“OBOR was born in China, but it runs through a whole lot of East Asian countries, and it is important to note that wherever OBOR goes, they share discussions, share instructions among them,” Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Ma Zhanwu said during an event organised by the “independent” think tank Observer Research Foundation.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key segment of the OBOR, was frowned upon by India as it expressed strong reservations against it. The 3,000-kilometre long corridor passes through PoK area (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) which means India will never accept the project.

“It (OBOR) is not China’s solo project but a kind of a symphony of all countries,” Ma said.

The USD50 billion CPEC provides a passage for Kashgar in western China to Gwadar port in Pakistan.

Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, has always put his weight behind the OBOR as the communist nation goes on to expand its influence across Asia and beyond. Recently, Xi was announced as China’s President for life after the ruling Communist Party amended the constitution in March.

During his speech at the opening session of the China-led non-profit Boao Forum for Asia earlier this week, Xi had said the OBOR would benefit the world.  “China has no geopolitical calculations, seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others,” he had said all this in an apparent attempt to defuse tension that China is using the OBOR to expand its influence.

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held in October last year, had also introduced many reforms.

“A lot of precise decisions have been taken in the 19th party congress of the CPC considering the goal of turning China into a prosperous… and beautiful country,” Ma said at the event organised on the theme “Post 19th CPC, Institutional Changes in PRC”.

According to him,  the biggest challenge for the Chinese government reduces the income inequality. “…there are about four crore people living in poverty, so every year we need to pull out nearly 1.3-1.4 crore Chinese out of poverty to meet our national target. It is a huge task. The main need is to balance the inadequate or unbalanced development of the economy,” he said.

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