India Makes a ì Silent Movementî on the Belt and Road Initiative
Dai Yonghong, director of the Institute of South Asian Studies of the School of International Relations, Sichuan University
India’s absence from the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was both predictable and unexpected. The downside of this absence is actually borne by India. In fact, India is already involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. India is not only a participant in the Bangladesh- China-india-myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor, but also the second largest shareholder of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), but Modi’s foreign policy has made a “silent movement.” India also wants to benefit from the Belt and Road Initiative by putting forward a series of development plans, such as the “Cotton Route” and the “Spice Route.”
China advocates the principles of openness and inclusiveness, which conform to the idea of a community of shared future. I believe that the forum will lead to more and more countries participating in the cooperative actions of the Initiative. Many of India’s top scholars and researchers believe that the opportunities of the Initiative far outweigh the challenges for India. China has always welcomed India to join the Initiative. I believe that one day, India will join the Belt and Road Initiative, and that day won’t be too far away. India has an urgent need to develop infrastructure, and the longer it waits, the more it will lose.