The Belt and Road Initiative and the Politics of Connectivity: Sino-Indian Rivalry in the 21st Century (Politics of South Asia)

This volume analyses New Delhi’s reaction to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the rise of politics of connectivity and infrastructure building which has heightened Sino-Indian rivalry in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It can be evidenced that the BRI has transformed the Sino-Indian dynamics from a ‘managed rivalry’ to an intense geo-political competition. It is contended that competition is inevitable when two powers rise in the same neighbourhood. The Indian government has opposed the BRI since its inception noting that the ‘BRI violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity’ because one of the flagship BRI projects - the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - runs through (Pakistan-controlled) Kashmir which India claims to be its own territory. It has consistently maintained that China’s ‘connectivity initiatives must be based on universally recognized international norms, good governance, rule of law, openness, transparency and equality, and must be pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity’ of other states. Beyond those stated reservations, New Delhi is concerned about the BRI infrastructure and connectivity projects in the smaller South Asian countries and the Indian Ocean littoral states. India has traditionally viewed South Asia and the IOR as its backyard over which it has historically maintained a position of influence. It is apprehensive that the BRI projects will enhance Beijing’s stature and undermine India’s influence in the region. In eleven chapters including Introduction and Conclusion, this book explores the dimensions of the rivalry and analyses the causes, dynamics and implications of an accelerated Sino-Indian competition. Contents Notes on Contributors Abbreviations List of Tables 1 Introduction An Analytical Framework Sino-Indian Rivalry: Historical Background The Belt and Road Initiative Aim and Objectives Outline of the Chapters Notes Part I The BRI and the Politics of Connectivity and Infrastructure Building in Asia 2 Connectivity, Statecraft, and Asian Acts of Rebalancing A Drive for Physical Connectivity and Spatial Growth From Crisis Management to Ambition of Xi Jinping: A Scheme Which Knits Domestic Growth and Influence The Geostrategic Dimensions of BRI India and BRI-Led Connectivity: Re-Discovering Well-Worn Routes and the Lessons in Statecraft India’s Connectivity Alternatives in the East India Reconnects with the Asian Heartland Corridors Beyond Asia: The Case of Asia-Africa Growth Corridor Prognosis: Parallel and Disproportionate Connectivity Conclusion Notes 3 The BRI and China’s Soft Power Strategy: Implications of the Digital Silk Road for South Asia The BRI and the Rise of China as a Digital Power The Digital Silk Road and CPEC: Rewiring Regional Politics Beyond CPEC: PEACE for a New World Order? Conclusion: A New World Order for South Asia? Notes 4 Cross-Border Infrastructure Development in South Asia: Chinese and Indian Approaches, Rivalries, and Potential for Cooperation Introduction BRI Corridors in South Asia India-Led Initiatives in South Asia and Beyond Chinese vs. Indian Initiatives Sino-Indian Geopolitical Competition in South Asia Potential for Sino-India Cooperation Notes Part II The BRI and India 5 India’s Reconstruction of Its China Policy India’s First Strategic Reconstruction: Military Tension and Economic Cooperation Second Strategic Reconstruction: Military Crises and Economic Shift Conclusion Notes 6 The Sino-Indian Rivalry in South Asia: The BRI and the New Cold Wars China’s BRI in South Asia China–Pakistan Collusion Increasing Chinese Influence in Nepal Systemic Implications Conclusion Notes Part III The BRI and Sino-Indian Rivalry in South Asia and the Indian Ocean 7 China–Pakistan Economic Corridor: Implications for Sino-Indian Rivalry Introduction CPEC: Origin and Evolution Pakistani Motivations Economic Geopolitical and Strategic CPEC: China’s Motivations: Economic Geopolitical and Strategic Motives: CPEC and Implications for Sino-Indian Rivalry Notes 8 The BRI and Sino-Indian Rivalry in Bangladesh Introduction The BRI and Sino-Indian Rivalry Indian and Chinese Interests in Bangladesh India China Historical Background: Bangladesh’s Bilateral Relations with India and China Indo-Bangladesh Relations Sino–Bangladesh Relations BRI and China-India Geo-Economic Rivalry in Bangladesh How Is Bangladesh Coping? Concluding Remarks Notes 9 The India-China Geo-Economic Contest for Influence in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives Objectives of Geo-Economic Engagement India’s and China’s Investment in Infrastructure Development in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives India and China in Nepal and the Contest for Influence Sri Lanka: China’s Increasing Stake and India’s Concerns India: Catching up with China in Sri Lanka? Maldives: The India-China Contest Evaluating India’s Response to China’s Economic and Strategic Presence Conclusion Notes 10 India’s Bid to Counter China in the Indian Ocean Introduction China’s Growing Undersea Deployments China’s Moves in the Western Indian Ocean Chinese Expanding Footprint in South Asia An Emerging China–Pakistan–Iran Nexus Strengthening of the Andaman and Nicobar Command A Possible Conflict in the Eastern IOR India’s East Asian Outreach India’s ‘Quad’ Conundrum The Chinese Perspective ‘Sea-Denial’ or ‘Counter-Projection’ A Possible India-China Détente at Sea Notes 11 Conclusion The BRI and China’s Multiple Motivations Intensification of Sino-Indian Rivalry as a Consequence of the BRI Sino-Indian Rivalry and Enmeshment of Regional and Global-Level Geopolitics Politics of Connectivity and Infrastructure Building Final Words Notes Index