The Trump administration on Tuesday threw its weight behind India's opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying it passes through a disputed territory and no country should put itself in a position of dictating the Belt and Road initiative.

India skipped the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in May this year due to its sovereignty concerns over the nearly 60-billion-dollar CPEC, a flagship project of China's prestigious One Belt One Road (OBOR), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Having returned from his maiden trip to India last week wherein he met his counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday appeared to be a strong opponent of China's ambitious OBOR initiative.