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International Relations

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October 26, 2017

The endeavour of India, Japan and US to connect the Pacific and Indian Oceans could be an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative and enhance the bargaining power of small countries vis-à-vis Beijing – Analyse.

Refer - Indian Express

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IAS Parliament 6 years

Why India opposes BRI?

·        Because India firmly believes that connectivity projects respect sovereignty and territorial integrity.

·        India also believes that connectivity initiative must

·        follow principles of financial responsibility to avoid projects that would create unsustainable debt burden for communities;

·        have balanced ecological and environmental protection and preservation standards

·        have transparent assessment of project costs;

·        India opposes BRI as it is view that these criteria are not met.

What is the alternative?

·        The US and Japan have supported India’s criticism of the BRI.

·        The three countries have also begun working together on Indo-Pacific infrastructure development.

·        Countries like Sri Lanka and Myanmar expressed political reservations against some of the Chinese infrastructure projects.

·        India emphases on-

o   pressing ahead with the large number of infrastructure projects with its own resources in the Subcontinent and the Indian Ocean.

o   to intensify the current discussions with the US, Japan, Europe and other partner countries to coordinate their regional infrastructure initiatives

o   find ways to overcome its many institutional limitations in implementing projects.

How an alternative will help small countries?

·        Offering an alternative is not about a zero-sum rivalry.

·        By demonstrating the possibility for sustainable infrastructure development, India can break the economic hegemony in the region.

·        It might eventually encourage Beijing to discard its predatory geoeconomics

·        It can even turn the BRI into a genuinely cooperative venture.

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