Recently Indian and Chinese militaries have been engaged in small scale skirmishes over the territorial border of the Doklam (Donglang in China) plateau that at most would be described as low intensity.
SUMMARY
China did not get the support it was looking for from India regarding Beijing’s One Belt One Road Initiative (BRI) following an important security bloc meeting Tuesday, April 24. India’s Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit Chinese President Xi Jinping in China later this week to discuss India’s potential membership. One of the many strategic and economic goals of BRI is to build an infrastructure network directly connecting China to the rest of Asia and the world. India is still not a member of the project and has expressed interest in producing its own BRI style initiative, although that has not taken hold. One hurdle to China’s ambitions is Pakistan’s allowance of construction through the disputed Kashmir region of Pakistan which is an area embedded in a territorial dispute between Pakistan and India. Recently Indian and Chinese militaries have been engaged in small scale skirmishes over the territorial border of the Doklam (Donglang in China) plateau that at most would be described as low intensity. China’s close relationship with Pakistan, the strategic competition with India, and the prospect of being left out of the broad sweeping BRI will likely push India to continue engagement in order to influence any future projects that will affect Indian interests.
FAO GLOBAL ASSESSMENT
The fifth largest economy in the world, India has been an attractive place for Western investment for many years. The potential for new Chinese funded infrastructure projects means more opportunities that will likely affect foreign companies doing business in the region. Many Indian roadways and mountain routes are in desperate need of repair and additional investment could be beneficial for India as a downstream supplier to many of the world’s industries. Geopolitically, if China can convince India to support (or at the least not hinder) the BRI despite Pakistan’s involvement, India may seek to leverage it’s economic and political weight to improve security conditions by closely engaging in BRI initiatives in its immediate area of interest.
Related Links
- Reuters – China Fails to get Indian Support for BRI
- China Daily (US) – China and India see upswing in relations
- Harvard Business Review – 3 Reasons Global Firms Should Keep Investing in India
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