India will skip China’s high- profile Belt and Road summit beginning in Beijing on Sunday in view of sovereignty concerns related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the initiative that is expected to play a dominant role in the two-day meet.

While there is no official word, informed sources told PTI that India will not take part in the meet, contrary to Chinese foreign minister –1--- announcement that India will have a representative at the Belt and Road Forum (BRF), a prestigious initiative of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“Although Indian leader is not here, India will have a representative," Wang had told journalists in Beijing on 17 April without specifying who would be representing India.

It was a tough call for India to take as China in the last few days has managed to rope in a number of western countries, including the US which on Friday agreed to send a top official after Washington clinched a lucrative trade deal.

Playing down India’s absence at the meeting, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told the media on Friday that the Indian scholars would be attending the meeting.

Japan, at the receiving end of strong criticism from China in the last few years particularly over the disputed islands in the East China Sea, has also agreed to send a high level political delegation that includes a vice minister.

The 14-15 May summit, which is expected to strengthen Xi’s power base as he gets set to begin his second five-year tenure later this year, will be attended by 29 heads of state and government, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. A number of other countries, including South Korea, France, Germany and UK, have deputed either ministerial or official delegations.

While this is the outcome of hectic diplomatic lobbying by China, unlike India, none of the other countries have sovereignty related issues with the One Belt and One Road initiative.

Considering CPEC’s importance in the plan — it is the only project at present with prospects of delivering early results — Pakistan Prime Minister is expected to take centre stage to highlight its significance as a “game changer" for his country. He is leading perhaps the largest delegation — four chief ministers and five federal ministers.

China-Pakistan Friendship Association President Sha Zukang has told the official media that China has already committed $46 billion Chinese investments for various energy and infrastructure related projects in Pakistan.