Reluctance to join initiative not good for Indian economy

In contrast to the majority of the international community supporting or being involved in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, India still prefers to ignore it.

The issue featured at the 20th round of border talks between Chinese and Indian special representatives in New Delhi on Friday, too, according to Indian media reports. Regular dialogue between the two sides at the high level will help them bridge their differences in such fields as the border issue and India's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.

India's resistance seems to stem from its concern over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is designed to pass through Kashmir, a disputed territory between India and Pakistan. But India needs to realize the CPEC is simply an economic project and there is no change in China's neutral stance on the Kashmir issue.

Since Beijing has no intention of playing any geopolitical game while promoting the Belt and Road Initiative in the region, New Delhi has no reason to view the CPEC, a flagship project of the China-proposed initiative, as anything but a connectivity and infrastructure endeavor for mutual benefit.

It wouldn't take much for India, if it indeed tries, to see the huge opportunities for better connectivity and economic cooperation the initiative offers to participating countries. China has been reiterating the initiative is a cross-continental development and cooperation platform, not a political tool, which focuses on providing regional public service.

Given today's interdependent world, India could miss the economic bus because of its skepticism while other countries reap the fruits of the Belt and Road Initiative.

On the bilateral level, India hopes to improve ties and deepen economic cooperation with China. So it should not ignore the initiative, as it is a mutually beneficial means to deepen cooperation, which in turn will help improve overall bilateral ties.