Beijing, Jan. 5 (INP): China’s solid support helped Pakistan successfully overcome its chronic power shortage as well as giving boost to overall socio-economic development, says an article published in Chinese media on Friday. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is testimony of China’s faithfulness and sincerity to Pakistan in promoting country-to-country relationship. The early-harvest projects under the CPEC helped Pakistan to manage the electric power shortages in record time of less than five years. Several mega infrastructure projects are also changing the Pakistan landscape. The CPEC is an economic and strategic project offering China its shortest link with the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. But China has said the CPEC is not limited to Pakistan, and other nations can join it. If India, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asian States became part of it, the entire outlook of South and Central Asia regions would change. India should realize that, by opposing the CPEC, it is playing a strategic game potentially good for some living far away but not for the region. So, Indian leaders have to make a choice. Hopefully India can adjust its policies, as traditionally it has avoided acting as proxy for big powers and should do so again. The article says “A truly cooperative Sino-India relationship would be good for both and the periphery. Let us see if India becomes part of efforts to contain China or maintains freedom of action. India's polices will determine the nature of its ties with China in 2018 and afterwards. However, this may be too big an expectation in the prevailing conditions. China is developing fast and will soon graduate as a major power and take up several roles in the coming years, previously reserved for the United States. After managing its economic advance, China is spreading out and the success of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a powerful testimony to that. Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi in December last year to attend the India-China-Russia trilateral talks. This was the first top-level official Chinese visit to India after the Donglang (Doklam) standoff that brought the two Asian giants to the precipice. It was a powerful signal that China was ready for a new beginning in ties by moving forward from the border tensions of 2017. The visit also reflects China's traditional commitment to a peaceful neighborhood, needed to maintain the trajectory of growth. Wang spelled out policy in an article published in the Indian newspaper Deccan Herald on December 11, writing that China was working "to maintain stability in our neighborhood and the sound momentum of regional cooperation." He also said China was willing to build sound ties with all neighboring nations, including Japan and South Korea. China "values the good-neighborliness and friendship between the two countries as we are each other's big neighbors and both ancient civilizations." INP/J/AH