During the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, India stood as the sole country not expressing support for China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the concluding declaration. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who attended the summit alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other leaders, emphasized the importance of safeguarding "regional peace."
President Xi, in his address at the virtual summit, voiced opposition to protectionism and called for collaborative efforts to ensure shared security and regional peace, as reported by state news agency Xinhua. He stressed the need to pursue political solutions for pressing international and regional issues, highlighting the significance of establishing a strong regional security framework.
India's objection to the BRI is primarily linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key component of the initiative that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India maintains that such actions are illegal and unacceptable. The CPEC, extending from China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region to the Gwadar Port in Baluchistan, Pakistan, traverses through PoK, specifically the region of Gilgit Baltistan, before reaching the Arabian Sea. This segment of the BRI plays a crucial role in connecting China's western regions with the strategic Gwadar Port, enabling China to enhance trade activities through maritime routes.
The SCO summit, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, highlighted the situation in Afghanistan in its declaration. The member states recognized the urgent need for resolving the Afghan issue to maintain and enhance security and stability in the SCO region.
It is important to note that the provided information is based on the available context up until September 2021, and any recent developments or updates may not be included.
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