Modi’s “Issue-by-Issue” Diplomacy with China:

Prospects of India’s Participation in BRI

Abstract
This paper reviews the manifestations and achievements of Modi government’s “Issue-by-Issue”
diplomacy with China since 2016. It discusses the causes and development of India’s attitude
towards China and analyses India’s thinking behind its diplomacy with China. In this paper, an
attempt has been made to find out the thinking’s influence on India’s attitude towards its
participation in the Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI). Based on these discussions and analyses, the
study concludes that India is suspicious of the BRI. Moreover, whether China can dispel India’s
suspicion actually does not depend on China’s policy orientation towards India and its effects,
rather it depends on the specific dividends that the BRI can achieve in other countries in South
Asia.

Introduction (Background):
- India raising specific issues to figure out China’s real attitude towards it (India)
- India doubtful if China is willing to establish equal major power relations. (Although, India is
aware of comprehensive national strength gap)
- India confident of future development of its strength against China
- India’s foreign policy towards BRI (One Belt One Road Initiative) is swinging – based on
Modi’s attitude towards China

Manifestations of Modi’s “Issue-by-Issue Diplomacy” with China

- “Issue-by-Issue” diplomacy: the Indian government has deconstructed China-India
relations into many specific issues and it regularly raises its demands regarding these
issues with China.
- India judges China’s respect for India and significance that China sassigns to China-India
relations based on China’s responses to these issues

Issues raised by India

1) Issue of Masood Azhar:

- Maulana Masood Azhar is the leader of the Pakistani banned militant organisation Jaish-
e-Mohammad. India suspected that the organisation planned the Pathankot airbase
shooting in January 2016. Therefore, the Indian government asked the Pakistani
government to take measures against Azhar. It also asked the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) to include. Azhar in the sanctions list of the UNSC No.1267. As a
permanent member of the UNSC, China conducted several rounds of technical shelving
of the listing that India asked for.
- India expressed strong discontent with China’s repeated shelving of the listing, accusing
it of adopting “double standards” on the anti-terrorism issue. India believes that this is a
manifestation of the fact that China’s foreign policy regarding South Asia is not balanced
and neutral. China holds that it is a bilateral issue that should be negotiated b/w
Pakistan and India
2) Issue of India’s Application to the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG)
- In June 2016, with support of the US and other Western countries, India applied to join
the NSG as an equal member. In the annual meeting of NSG, held in Seoul, South Korea,
China did not support India’s application, citing the following two major reasons:
 the group’s agenda has never included any specific subject about “the joining of
a non-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory country,” and this annual
meeting did not include similar subjects either
 the group has clear requirements on accepting new members, which should fulfil
five criteria, including technological as well as political and legal aspects. The
most important “must meet criterion” is that the applicant country must have
signed the NPT. So far, India has not signed the NPT
-