BEIJING: China on Wednesday refuted a US research group report on the Belt and Road Initiative, reiterating that the initiative aims to achieve win-win economic cooperation. According to the Associated Press, after analyzing 15 Chinese-funded port projects, a research institute called C4ADS concluded that the projects were not driven by win-win economic development, but intended to expand China’s “political influence and military presence.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stressed at a daily press briefing that the Belt and Road Initiative is essentially about economic cooperation, and the core concept of the initiative is to promote common development by advancing connectivity in infrastructure and other fields. The initiative has gained support from more than 100 countries and international organizations, with more than 80 of them signing cooperation agreements with China. She noted this worldwide support would never have been impossible were the initiative not adapted to the trend of the times and beneficial to people of various countries. The spokesperson emphasized that the initiative has been open and transparent, with all participants involved in consultations in both planning and project implementation. “China has no geopolitical calculations, seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others,” she said. “Belt and Road is a mutually beneficial and win-win initiative,” Hua said, adding that it will allow other countries to share opportunities from China’s development and help solve development problems facing the world. “During the Belt and Road construction, the Chinese side sticks to market rules and takes all parties’ interests and concerns into consideration,” Hua said. She added that a large number of relevant cooperation projects are being carried out, and they have bettered the local economy and benefited the local people. Hua said leaders of most EU countries expressed interest in participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. “During French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China, he called on all European countries to actively take part in the initiative, while British Prime Minister Theresa May hoped Britain and China could carry out cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative in order to promote global and regional economic development,” Hua said. She stressed the Belt and Road Initiative followed market rules, and strove for high-quality and sustainable development. Hua said it was an important part of the initiative to promote trade liberalization and trade facilitation. She added that many trade barriers exist in the world, but none of them are created by the Belt and Road Initiative. China supports peace treaty between DPRK, ROK: China on Thursday voiced support for a possible peace treaty between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) at an early date. ROK’s presidential Blue House said Wednesday that it was reviewing ways to turn the current armistice on the Korean Peninsula into a peace treaty during the upcoming summit with the DPRK later this month. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a routine news briefing that China supports the possible peace treaty and efforts by relevant parties to establish a peace regime for the Peninsula. As a concerned party in Korean Peninsula affairs, China will play a positive role in the process. She said China believes it is an effective way to fundamentally resolve the Korean Peninsula issue by advancing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishing the peace regime in accordance with the “dual-track” approach. The Korean Peninsula remains technically in a state of war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. Published in Daily Times, April 20th 2018.