India's Concerns over China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

The new centaury has opened the gate for new entities to take advance position on world stage in the shadow of recession in US economy. China has realized these facts very soon and reorients its policies. It has designed multi-pronged strategies by giving utmost preference to regional connectivity. ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI), a combination of a network of roads, high-speed railways and maritime Silk route, has changed the spectrum in its favor. But Scholars all around the world have put forward some serious questions on the Chinese intention. They see it as an instrument of power politics and declare that a newer version of power politics is eminent in Asian Continent. As far as India is concerned, it has emerged as the strongest critic of this grand project due to variety of reasons. Policy makers’ declared this project as articulated and well designed far more for strategic gain. It is not just an infrastructural building in his economically backward states or just for economic gains but it violates the international norm of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Some serious issues of strategic nature related to this project i.e. the disputed CPEC project, China's hegemonic posture in South China Sea, policy of string of pearls and its activities in smaller states have emerged as bone of contention. India believes that this grand project ‘BRI’ do not meet the principles of inclusive, sustainable and transparent and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. And hence, Hence, India is not in favor of any changes occurring in this region, which may have implications for its security.