CHINA said on Friday it was ready to hold a Wuhan-style summit meeting with India this year to improve ties, notwithstanding the differences over the trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in which the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project.

 

 

Addressing a media conference here ahead of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) being held from April 25-27 to showcase China’s trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi appealed to India to shed its opposition to the USD 60 billion CPEC, saying it no way “undermined” the basic position on the Kashmir dispute.Asked if India’s opposition to the BRI would undermine the new momentum generated by last year’s informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Wang said the two leaders had a very successful meeting at Wuhan city.

 

 

“Particularly they have established mutual trust between the leadership and they jointly planned for the future of improvement and strengthening of China-India relations. “After the Wuhan summit, we see all areas orprogress between the two countries and we have bright prospect for this relationship. We are now preparing for the next summit of our leaders,” he said without specifying any time line. After the Wuhan summit hosted by China, (Contd on page 9)