Despite
mounting pressure from member countries, India has refused to join
China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) Initiative—which has more than 60
countries interested and is expected to reshape regional economic and
trade relations drastically. India has so far protested over the
development of the $62 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Notwithstanding its
potential to facilitate the transformation of infrastructure and
achievement of domestic developmental goals for India, the country seems
fairly immune to its appeal.
Debate
over the possibility of India joining the OBOR initiative initially
started with members of the Chinese media highlighting the opportunities
CPEC could open up for India’s own development and the India-Pakistan
relationship. However, owing to India’s uncompromising stance there has
been a subtle emergence of an alternate strategy; China seems to have
shifted gears in its approach by now focusing on what India has to lose
as opposed to what it has to gain from the multi-billion dollar project.
Implying that New Delhi will risk isolation as its allies Russia and
Iran, and neighbors Nepal and Sri Lanka grow increasingly enthusiastic
and eager to join the project, the Chinese media sources claim that
India is only depriving itself of an opportunity for great economic
growth by not complying with the proposition.
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