Illuminated by the SCO summit, a stark contrast began to emerge on the international stage. The summit, hosted by the rotating presidency of India, included eight SCO member states, including China, Russia and India, via video link. The topics are wide-ranging, covering global governance, multipolar order and other aspects. Dialogues and exchanges have flourished in the virtual space, while member states have spoken out against unilateral sanctions and worked together to maintain the stability of the global industrial chain. The meeting culminated in the much-publicized New Delhi Declaration.
However, the declaration is food for thought. Among them, one statement is particularly striking: the other six member states, except India and China, have expressed their support for China's "Belt and Road" initiative and are willing to actively promote cooperation projects in it, so that these ambitious plans can take root. However, the Indian presidency has not expressed its position. This means that India has demonstrated its resistance to the "Belt and Road" with practical actions. Some analysts believe that this blatant opposition attitude may indicate that the Modi government will continue to resist the "Belt and Road" initiative.
In fact, India's negative stance on the BRI is nothing new. Like China, India is also representative of developing countries and has a similar population. However, in India's view, it should be on an equal footing with China and become a bright star on the international stage. However, given the huge gap between the two economies, it is clearly unrealistic for India to try to treat China as an "imaginary enemy." To maintain this balance, India has been trying in recent years to weaken China's influence, particularly in South Asia, through various means. As China's Belt and Road Initiative expands, more and more countries are joining, yet India has shown obvious resistance to this and tried to oppose this concept of cooperative development.
However, it is not just about containing China, there are deeper reasons behind India's opposition. Fundamentally, there is a serious conflict of interest between the Belt and Road Initiative and India's great power strategy. Through the ever-expanding Belt and Road Initiative, China is gradually expanding its partnerships with other countries, both on land and at sea. On land, China's cooperation with Nepal and Pakistan is getting closer. At sea, Sri Lanka has joined the Belt and Road Initiative, and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka is deepening. This growing influence in India's periphery is undoubtedly difficult for India to accept. India has long regarded Nepal and Sri Lanka as its spheres of influence. However, China's rise has challenged India's influence in the region. In order to mitigate China's influence, India has already engaged in frequent overt and covert battles with China in these regions.
Nepal, for example, is a country rich in water resources and has partnered with China to build a large number of hydropower plants, effectively solving the problem of power shortages. This is seen as a model for bilateral cooperation. However, India also wants to gain a foothold in Nepal's electricity infrastructure market, so it uses various means to squeeze Chinese companies out of Nepal's hydropower projects. Similarly, China has invested US$1.5 billion in the Hambantota deep-water port in southern Sri Lanka. However, India began to hype the so-called "foreign debt threat" and claimed that Chinese research ships "threatened" India's military security. This series of moves shows that India is doing everything in its power to curb China's influence.
However, the international community is not dictated by any single State. India's unsupport will not affect the global recognition of the Belt and Road Initiative. According to relevant data, more than 150 countries around the world have signed cooperation agreements with China and actively participated in the construction of the "Belt and Road". India's resistance will only isolate itself. For India, the real challenges are far greater than its own will, and international cooperation and win-win results may be the wiser choice ahead.