EMERGING IRRITANT
The BRI
- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China’s ambitious project for increasing connectivity and economic cooperation within Eurasia.
- Since its announcement in 2013, the BRI has been positively received by many countries covered within its ambit.
India’s Objection
- One issue associated with the BRI will likely be considered an irritant for China: India’s position on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
- India registered its protest by boycotting the high-profile Belt and Road Forum organised by China last year.
- Its principal objection was that CPEC passed through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
- Indias’ position is that the ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’ violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- India’s position will undoubtedly have a larger impact on China-India relations.
Is India’s concern valid?
- PoK is considered a contested territory by the international community. Nevertheless, for India, PoK remains an emotional and sensitive issue.
- Thus, China’s insistence on establishing the CPEC project through PoK is seen by India as a deliberate disregard of its territorial claims.
- Whether India has any road map to take the conversation on PoK forward is a different debate but no nation can be expected to wilfully forsake its territorial claims.
- Had India not registered its protest, that would have been perceived as a weakness, and would have been a setback for India’s emerging power status in the international system.
Impact on India
- If China invests heavily in the region, it risks becoming party to what has been a troubling bilateral dispute between nuclear-armed rivals.
- If CPEC gets operationalised and fortifies the emergence of a fully functional China-Pakistan axis, this would hamper India’s larger interests in the South Asian region.
- The incentives for this would be even stronger if CPEC’s potential success renders PoK more industrially developed, thus granting Pakistan greater legitimacy over the region.
Conclusion
CPEC is ultimately a thorn in India-Pakistan relations. The best way forward would be for India to come up with a concrete plan on PoK. Otherwise, its protests on CPEC may well be ignored by stakeholders in the project, with little consequence.
Relevance: GS 2
