US, South Korea, Japan to attend Belt and Road Forum in China, India undecided
India has still not taken a decision on the invite for China but the US and South Korea announced today that they will be a part of the One Belt, One Road Forum.
Ananth Krishnan | Posted by Sonalee Borgohain
Beijing, May 12, 2017 | UPDATED 14:46 IST
The United States and South Korea today announced last-minute participation at China's Belt and Road Forum, while India said it had still not decided on attending.
Matt Pottinger, Special Assistant to President Donald Trump and senior director for East Asia of National Security Council of the White House, will head the US delegation. His rank is equivalent to an Additional Secretary in the Indian government.
His announcement came as a surprise as the US had in the past indicated wariness as the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative. The US had also stayed away from the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which India joined as second-largest member, and urged its allies to do the same.
South Korea also announced today it would send a delegation, underlining a change in climate of recently strained ties with China following last week's election. This followed a telephone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and new president Moon Jae-in.
Ties had been tense over the previous government in Seoul agreeing to host the US anti-missile system THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) which led to a suspension of diplomatic exchanges and South Korean companies in China being targeted by boycott calls. President Moon, however, announced he will send a delegation led by Park Byeong-seug, a member of parliament and top official of his party.
Japan has also agreed to send a delegation represented by ruling Liberal Democratic Party's secretary general Toshihiro Nikai, thought to be close to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
So far, 28 countries have said they will send heads of state, among whom are Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Ministers of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The Germany and United Kingdom are also sending ministers.
As of today morning, India said it was still yet to take a decision on the invite for China. India has voiced its oppositions to part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor that passes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir, with CPEC being framed as a flagship of the OBOR initiative.
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