Geo-political implications of the Belt and Road Initiative with special reference to India

Abstract

The past decade has seen a disturbing trend of hyper-nationalism and a tectonic shift in global hierarchies from a unipolar to a multipolar world with China challenging the USA's pole position. After a sustained period of high growth, China has now achieved a dominant economic and military global position. To further consolidate its emerging global dominance, it has attempted to resurrect the fabled silk route by initiating Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) along the ancient Silk Route. However, China's attempts to gain dominance through BRI contradict and threaten India's national interests and therefore require analysis.This article presents de novo analysis of BRI's impact on India's maritime and land security and national interests. The choice of this theme is, therefore, of critical importance for global stability in general and for India's interests in particular. It critically examines China's opportunistic use of the present state of global volatility as an opportunity to gain geopolitical heft through BRI. It is abundantly clear from this study that the main intent of China behind the veil of BRI is to fulfill its ethnocentric aspirations by gaining a foothold in strategically important land and maritime geographical locations. The article identifies the challenges posed by BRI and enumerates its implications on India against the backdrop of China's attempts to wrest regional dominance by enticing India's neighbours into the debt trap. It finally carves out the strategy that India must adopt to secure its national interests. Economic, military, and diplomatic engagements at both regional and global levels have been discussed in the article to arrive at the most suitable approach for India.Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), Built Back Better World initiative (B3W), and other bilateral and multilateral mechanisms emerge as democratic and just alternatives for India to participate.