Despite opposing BRI, India may explore projects with China in other countries

Notwithstanding its opposition to Belt-and-Road initiative of China; New Delhi may enter into a dialogue with Beijing soon to explore bilateral cooperation for development projects in and linking other countries.

New Delhi remains steadfast in its opposition to Belt-and-Road initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping and its key component China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). India, however, of late indicated its willingness for talks with China on bilateral cooperation in development projects in other countries.

The first few months of 2018 may see the diplomats of India and China working on the new template for dialogue on cooperation for projects in other countries in the region, sources aware of the recent engagements between the two nations told the DH in New Delhi

New Delhi, however, has made it clear that even if its dialogue with Beijing finally leads to any joint project in any third country, it would be carried out within the framework of India-China bilateral cooperation, but not as a component of the Belt-and-Road Initiative.

Beijing's persistent policy of shielding anti-India terrorists based in Pakistan from United Nations' sanctions, India's opposition to Belt-and-Road initiative of China and the 72-day-long face-off between Indian Army and Chinese People's Liberation Army in Doklam Plateau in western Bhutan brought the bilateral relations to a new low in 2017.

New Delhi and Beijing, however, tried to bring the ties back on track with several back-to-back engagements towards the end of the year.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had a bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi when he came to New Delhi to attend a Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral talks on December 11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, hosted Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi for the 20th round of boundary negotiation in New Delhi on December 22. Doval and Yang are Special Representative of India and China for boundary negotiations and strategic consultations.

A press-release issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chinese Government after Swaraj-Wang meeting quoted External Affairs Minister telling her counterpart that since India and China were two major developing countries, the significance of relations between them transcended “bilateral scope”. “Bilateral relations (between India and China) have an important influence on the region and the world at large,” it noted.

It was reiterated in the press-release issued by Ministry of External Affairs after Doval-Yang meeting in New Delhi. It said that both sides had agreed that the relations between India and China transcended “their bilateral dimensions” and had “significance for peace, stability and development of Asia and the world”.

India has since long been opposing the BRI of China, arguing that the connectivity initiatives must be “based on universally recognised international norms, good governance, rule of law, openness, transparency and equality”. New Delhi is particularly opposed to the CPEC, which will link Kashgar in Xinjiang in north-western China and a deep sea port at Gwadar in Balochistan in south-western Pakistan.

New Delhi has been opposed to the CPEC corridor as it is proposed to pass through parts of Kashmir that India claims as its own and accuses Pakistan of illegally occupying.

Moscow, however, has of late been nudging New Delhi to review its stand on the BRI of China. Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev said that Moscow would like Beijing and New Delhi to resolve their differences on the BRI through talks. During his visit to New Delhi for the RIC trilateral talks, Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that India could find a way to benefit from the BRI of China without compromising on its positions.

Prodded by Moscow, New Delhi of late said that it was open to "any effort" to address its legitimate concerns on the cross-continental connectivity initiative launched by China. “If there are suggestions, if there is a view which takes into account our sensitivities in the matter then there is something which we are willing to look at,” Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said on December 14.

Sources in New Delhi pointed out that India and China were already cooperating within the framework of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for financing development projects across Asia.

New Delhi has been viewing Xi's grand connectivity initiative distinctly from the AIIB, which was also conceived by Beijing but was set up by over 50 nations collectively through a consultative process. India has not only joined the AIIB but is the second largest shareholder in the bank after China. New Delhi will host the annual governors' meeting of the AIIB next year. 

Besides, the experts and academicians of India and China have since long been discussing the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, which was also conceived by Beijing years before Xi launched the BRI. Beijing has been prodding New Delhi to start a government-to-government discussion on the project. 

New Delhi's reservation about the BCIM-EC stems from anticipation that it would expose its north-eastern region – a theatre of many secessionist insurgencies and ethnic conflicts – and its eastern frontier to growing influence of China.