Home Minister to talk with CMs of five states bordering China
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will hold consultations with the chief ministers of five Himalayan states in Gangtok on Saturday to discuss development of roads, bridges and other infrastructure along the 3,488 km-long China-India border possibly to counter the influence of China’s OBOR project.
According to The Indian Express, the Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are expected to attend the meeting.
According to the report, the move comes days after India refused to participate in the Belt and Road initiative in Beijing and a month after the diplomatic tussle with China over the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
Construction of roads along the China-India border, redressal of the situation arising from the lack of infrastructure in frontier areas and a host of other issues will be discussed, an official said.
According to the paper, China is known to have improved its infrastructure along the border by constructing roads, bridges, railway networks and airports.
India shares a 3,488-km border with China along the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.