Many Belts and Many Roads
Quotes and Quotas is a weekly digest of phrases and facts that help explain Asia’s infrastructure push.
On October 3, U.S. Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis commented on China’s Belt and Road initiative during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Chinese and Pakistani officials were quick to defend their flagship route, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“Regarding ‘One Belt, One Road,’ I think in a globalized world, there are many belts and many roads, and no one nation should put itself into a position of dictating ‘One Belt, One Road.’ That said, 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.”
“We have repeatedly reiterated that the CPEC is an economic cooperation initiative that is not directed against third parties and has nothing to do with territorial sovereignty disputes and does not affect China’s principled stance on the Kashmir issue.”
“The One Belt, One Road is against devastation caused by war and menace of terrorism. Regional states can get economic benefit from this project.”
“Suddenly the U.S., courtesy of India, in silly/shortsighted U-turn, discovers ‘disputed territory’ in the context of OBOR, to justify opposing China,”
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