Belt and Road finds mention in CPC constitution

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road project, which irks India, has found a mention in the constitution of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The inclusion of the project in the ruling party's constitution, which was amended at the CPC congress, means that Beijing will push more to materialise Xi's dream of connecting Asia and Europe through a network of roads and waterways.

This can spell more worries for India as it has opposed the initiative because of its chief component - China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - passes through the Kashmir that is held by Islamabad and claimed by New Delhi.

India has expressed unhappiness over the route but China calls the CPEC an economic project which has nothing to do with the Kashmir issue.

In May, India skipped the mega Belt and Road conference in Beijing, showing its protest. The Belt and Road has become a contentious issue between India and China.