BEIJING: In an unexpected move, the Communist Party of China has enshrined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in its constitution. This aspect has also been included in the party constitution because it provides the ideological underpinning for Beijing's plan to fund and construct infrastructure projects across the globe.The new move may bring some relief among Pakistani leaders who have been under pressure over terrorist attacks taking place along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC ), which is part of the BRI. With BRI becoming a part of the Communist Party's constitution, Islamabad can expect continued funding for projects planned and constructed by Chinese companies.India has been opposed to one portion of the economic corridor because it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir which is claimed by New Delhi. It is also important for China from the military standpoint because the economic corridor leads to Gwadar port which gives it access to the Arabian Sea. "The danger of having given it greater visibility is that actually there are going to be more of those efforts to play to the policy in a political way rather than considering carefully the costs and benefits of each portion of what one is doing," said Dali Yang, a professor at the University of Chicago.

Source: Times of India October 24, 2017 15:39 UTC