Even though the agenda of the meeting has been stated to be containing Covid-19, China called for four countries to join hands to complete the construction of CPEC.
Beijing| In a move that is being seen as China’s attempt to isolate India from its neighbours, the Chinese Foreign Minister held a virtual meeting with his three counterparts on Monday. The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Foreign Ministers of Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan through video conferencing.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry in its statement said that the meeting was focused on a four-point plan of containing the Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting also included discussions to boost economic recovery and resumption of the BRI infrastructure projects as apart of the agenda. However, other nations such as Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka did not attend this meeting. It is not clear whether these countries were invited to attend the meeting.
Push For CPEC
Even though the agenda of the meeting has been stated to be containing Covid-19, China has made its intentions clear. Its foreign minister Wang Yi said – four countries should come together to complete the construction of CPEC. Taking it to Afghanistan will be beneficial for all these countries. China also presented a plan with four points at this meeting. All of them mention CPEC and One Belt One Road.
India Not Invited
India was kept away from this meeting as it has always opposed the CPEC. Nepal and Afghanistan were invited as they are small but important countries in the region. However, both are not part of CPEC. As per experts, China is helping the small countries on the pretext of Covid-19 to dominate South Asia. The Nepalese Prime Minister’s changed attitude towards India in recent times has indicated his intentions.
MEA Closely Watching The Development:
India did not attend this meeting. However, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs is closely watching this meeting. It remains to be seen how India responds. There is a US pressure on Afghanistan. Therefore, there is little hope that it will be influenced by China. The Indian government, however, is still silent about Nepal.
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