Human rights activists from South Asia, Japan and Africa recently met on the sidelines of the  54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and discussed the implications of China’s expansionist policies and their consequences on the people in the region.

The speakers mainly highlighted the impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a trans-continental passage that links China with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Russia and Europe by land, reported ANI.

The activists from the Balochistan province of Pakistan highlighted the impact of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion-dollar project under BRI which has severely impacted the lives of people in the region.

Naseem Baloch, a political activist, told ANI that a large number of people in Balochistan are facing severe difficulties due to Chinese construction projects, especially at Gwadar. The CPEC connects China’s Xinjiang province to Gwadar port in Pakistan.

World Uyghur Congress’s Dr Dolkun Isa said the 3,800 km CPEC project is an illegal and genocidal project for a large number of people in East Turkestan (Xinjiang).

“This project is the territorial expansionist project as it impacts Japan, the Philippines and even Pakistan,” Isa was quoted as saying by ANI.