China’s first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) concluded with Beijing claiming it had laid the foundation for hitherto unimagined global connectivity and cooperation. The BRI has the personal stamp of the Xi Jinping aspiration — to tell the world the story of China. However, there is a huge mismatch between the self-image that Beijing seeks to project and the reality on the ground. Pakistan is a visible OBOR beneficiary with major connectivity projects including one through the disputed Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) that Delhi has objected to. Thus, while Delhi stays away from the BRF — it is still seeking to increase its export of mangoes to China!

Source: dna May 17, 2017 02:37 UTC