India's cognition of the "Belt and Road" Initiative and

China’s response

abstract: India as the major power of the subcontinent and rapidly developing
brics countries, is an important channel of the land and maritime "silk road",a
potential partner of "Belt and Road", and als occupies an important position in
promoting the construction of "Belt and Road".In recent years, all sectors of life in
India have conducted research on the Belt and Road Initiative from the perspective of
economy,politic and major power relations, which are mainly divided into three
attitudes: support and approval, boycott and opposition, and caution and hesitation.In
general, in addition to the economic field, India has an obvious negative attitude
towards other areas of BRI, mainly due to the impact of BRI on India's national
security, India's great power feelings and great power competition pattern.The
structural contradictions between China and India lead to India's lack of trust in
China.To promote India's strategic communication and practical cooperation under the
framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, it is necessary to further enhance strategic
mutual trust, promote the synergy of China-India strategies, and deepen China-India
strategic cooperation, so as to better play the joint role of the two major powers in
promoting the process of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Key words: the"Belt and Road",China-India relations,response

In 2013, Precident Xi launched the initiative to jointly build the "Silk Road
Economic Belt" (hereinafter referred to as "economic belt", SREB) and the "21st
century Maritime Silk Road" (hereinafter referred to as "maritime Silk Road" plan,
MSR). Since then, the Belt and Road (BRI) initiative has become a national vision for
China's future prospects and an important international cooperation program for
promoting the process of globalization. India, as a big country and important neighbor
in South Asia, has not yet sent a clear and powerful signal. Its "bewildering"
performance has led to reflections on the following key issues: first, what role does
India play and what impact does it have on the implementation of China's "the Belt
and Road" initiative? Second, what is India's attitude towards China's "the Belt and
Road" initiative? Third, how can China solve India's knowledge of the "the Belt and
Road" initiative and promote the smooth progress of the "the Belt and Road" in India
and the in-depth development of the whole route? Based on this, a correct
understanding of India's strategic significance for China's development will help to
comprehensively examine and consider the compatibility and inclusiveness between
China's "the Belt and Road" initiative and the development of neighboring countries,
seek new breakthroughs in bilateral cooperation, jointly create a new situation for the
development of major countries, and reproduce the prosperity and common prosperity
of Asia.

一、The role that India plays in the BRI and the impact it
may have on the implementation on BRI

With the Chinese government persistently upholding the concepts of peaceful

cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win
results, we aim to promote practical cooperation in an all-round way,build a
community of interests, a community of destiny and a community of common
responsibilities,featuring political mutual trust, economic integration and cultural
inclusiveness.The core of China's "the Belt and Road" initiative is to strengthen
China's cooperation in economy and trade with central, South and Southeast Asian
countries. As an important neighbor in Southwest China, India is not only a big
country in South Asia, but is also a big Asian country and an important emerging
economy country. Therefore, India has taken a very important position in the BRI.
Firstly ， India is located in the South Asian subcontinent, bordering the
Himalayas in the north, the Arabian Sea in the West and Bangladesh in the East in the
south and it also faces Sri Lanka across the lakdav sea.So India is a real power in the
Indian Ocean,It is not only an important hub connecting Asia, the Middle East and
Africa, but also an important strategic force to guard the maritime passage from the
South China Sea to the Persian Gulf through the Malacca Strait. At the same time, as
the largest country in the South Asian subcontinent, India is China's largest neighbor
in the southwest.
What is more, in recent years, due to the economic recession in western
countries, the economic growth of China and India has both slowed down. In order to
restore rapid economic growth and truly become the engine of the world economy,
China and India all need to strengthen economic cooperation. Under this condition, in
fact ,China's development is India's opportunity, and India's development is also
China's opportunity.As we all know,the BRI initiative is to take advantage of China's
strong industrial capacity, skilled technical personnel and sufficient ingerdients.We
want to work with countries along the belt and road to accelerate economic growth.As
a large developing country with a large population, at present and for a long time to
come, the India goverment still face the primary task to accelerate economic
development, increase people's income and eradicate poverty as soon as
possible.Therefore,the BRI initiative is conducive to strengthening economic
cooperation between China and India and promoting India's economic development.
At present, the modi government of India is carrying out economic structure
transformation to accelerate economic development and actively promote the
frastructure construction and manufacturing development.Both infrastructure
construction and manufacturing developmentIt needs a lot of construction funds,
advanced machinery and equipment and skilled technical personnel. So It's possible to
provide a very important opportunity for China's BRI initiative. It can be seen that
many important opportunities are provided for strengthening China India economic
cooperation.
Finally, India's international political influence is also related to the
implementation of "the Belt and Road" initiative. India, which became independent in
1947, adopted the diplomatic line of "peace, neutrality and non alignment" in the face
of the cold war pattern of the two camps of the United States and the Soviet Union,
made contributions to opposing the two hegemonic powers and breaking the
monopoly of major powers on international affairs, and displayed the successful
image of a country that is economically and militarily backward on the international
stage. Under the guidance of the foreign policy strategy of "Indira Gandhi doctrine",
India takes the development of military strength as the first priority, becomes the most
powerful maritime force in the Indian Ocean region, seeks the dominant position in
South Asia and the controlling position in the Indian Ocean, and is regarded as a
major power in the Asia Pacific region,which means siginificantly for the implement
of the BRI.

二、India’s attitude toward the BRI

（二） Support and approval:

India should actively participate the BRI ,scholars who hold this view ,are
mainly concentrating on the angle of India's economic development degree, focusing
on the analysis of the economic complementarity between China and India,
highlighting stressing that India's active participation in the "the Belt and Road" will
bring huge economic benefits.First of all, we should see the complementarity between
China and India in economic development,India cannot blindly reject the "the Belt
and Road". Some scholars have proposed that at present,India has over interpreted the
"the Belt and Road", which is too centered on India.They argued that refuse to
participate in the "the Belt and Road" will reduce India's regional influence in central
and South Asia,which will lead to India's presence on the ground being isolated in
regional affairs and miss a chance to promote the economic development of the
country.The economic complementarity between China and India is very obvious,and
the cooperation framework between the two countries has always existed.It is
conducive to promoting the development of the two countries and reducing the factors
of instability in the world.Hiam Salan believes that China and India have many
overlapping interests, "the Belt and Road" is not a "solo" by China, but by other
countries"Symphony" of joint cooperation.Deeberger believes that all-round
cooperation can promote complementary economic growth between the two countries,
India's "Eastward policy" and the BRI have something in common, and the two can be
connected.It is believed that the "the Belt and Road" will bring huge economic
benefits
Srinaturagavan believes that China economic development is facing the problem
of overcapacity, and this economic issues will help promote India's economic
development, such as China's Machinery manufacturing industry can help India solve
the problem of old machines and outdated factories and the low quality of the labor
force.
It is believed that the "the Belt and Road" provides India with an opportunity to
integrate into the world economy breakthrough.Some scholars of India called on the
government to attach importance to the "the Belt and Road",which would boost
India's economic transformation.

（二） Opposition and Counteraction:

India should increase hedging,scholars who hold this view are mainly
considering from the political perspective and the competition between big
countries.India should not join the "the Belt and Road", but countermeasures should
be actively taken to hedge the impact of the "the Belt and Road" on India
First, from the perspective of geopolitics, it is believed that "the belt and road
initiative" has a deeper security connotation behind it, which would poses great
challenges to India security. Sajahar proposed that "the the Belt and Road" is not
just to gain economic benefits, it is more derived from geopolitics consideration of
China,useinf familiar and harmless words such as "the Silk Road" to conceal its
geostrategic intentions.And China is constantly strengthening its cooperation in the
Indian Ocean and its regional influence, encircling India. Connectivity between China
and South Asian countries is regarded by some scholars as a "pearl chain" strategy.An
important part of China's cooperation with South Asian countries is to continuously
promote the "pearl chain" strategy and the "Silk Road" proposed by ChinaIt is an
important tool to encircle India and pose challenges to the national security of India.
Some scholars believe that China is constantly strengthening its influence in the
Indian Ocean to establish regional hegemony, remove obstacles and provide a basis
for countering the United States,which India should pay attention to.
Secondly, from the perspective of big country competition, it is considered that
"the belt and road initiative" is weakening India's regional influence. Shaglia put
forward, "China is gradually becoming the center of Asia, Africa and Europe, and the
leadership of the Indian Ocean will be affected, and India will become secondary
Country. Scholars of the Indian Institute of the armed forces believe that with the
continuous promotion of the "BRI" and the continuous development of China's
overseas economic expansion, China is constantly improving its influence in the
Indian Ocean, which brings great challenges and threats to India's geographical
advantages.Based on the above judgment, the Indian academic community believes
that a series of counter-measures to reduce the adverse impact of the "the Belt and
Road" and maintain its regional influence and dominant position are necessary.
Kileshpi Lalamali believes that the "monsoon plan" is the most important way to
counter China Initiative. In addition, the Indian academic community also proposed
that it should be further strengthened strategic cooperation between India, the United
States and Japan. Menon proposed that in order to cope with the situation from
China.The United States and India should deepen strategic cooperation and further
strengthen the military field cooperation.Rajamohan believes that in response to the
"belt and road initiative",India should strengthen cooperation with neighboring Japan
and actively promote India centered connectivity initiatives .

（三） Caution and hesitation:

India should remain vigilant,scholars who hold this view mainly focus on the
"the Belt and Road" itself.
Based on the transparency and feasibility of BRI, it is not necessary to express
general approval or opposition, but to maintain vigilance and be cautious.First, in
terms of transparency, some scholars proposed that BRI lacks transparency and
supervision, and the promotion form is not clear enough.
It is true that the specific benefits obtained by the participating countries are not
obvious enough, and the implementation mechanism is not clear enough. Some
scholars believe that the lack of transparency, especially the lack of details, makes the
strategic intention of BRI is not clear enough, resulting in India's less commitment to
the BRI.There is a lack of communication and exchanges between China and India
and other relevant countries.Not transparent enough. Samir Patil believes that China
should strengthen communication with India and other countries and jointly design
"the Belt and Road", which is the real cooperation.
Secondly, in terms of feasibility, some scholars proposed that the BRI is too ambitious
and faces many constraints in the process of promotion.There is a problem of regime
stability in countries along the route, and China needs to help relevant countries solve
political problems.But how to provide specific help is a very complicated problem. At
the same time, the scale of "the Belt and Road" is too large that how to handle the
relationship with regional powers in the implementation process is also an
unavoidable problem, which is difficult to solve in a short time.In addition, the "the
Belt and Road" still has some problems in specific areas of cooperation.

三、some possible solutions

We should enlarge the economic characteristics, desalinate the political color,

adhere to the market operation, and strengthen the role of enterprises as the main
body.
Promote the explicit development of India's economic benefits through project
construction, so that the Indian people can truly see and feel the benefits of the "the
Belt and Road" initiative to their country.
To avoid misunderstandings, the "the Belt and Road" initiative can clarify India's
leadership in the South Asian process to a certain extent, and through the construction
of a multi-national bilateral dialogue mechanism in South Asia,make India to know,
participation and decision-making rights can be fully respected, so as to alleviate
isolation and steadily promote "the Belt and Road".
Stimulate cultural exchanges and promote the docking of international strategies

四、Conclsion

The geographical advantages, economic development prospects and regional

political influence of India, a big country in South Asia, are of great strategic
significance to the implementation of China's "the Belt and Road" initiative. However,
considering the balance of national interests under geopolitics, border disputes and
economic games, India has two cognitive deviations from the "the Belt and Road"
initiative: doubt hedging and cautious wait-and-see. To this end, China should, first
and foremost, clarify doubts and increase trust, and start from the aspects of economic
concern for practical interests, political respect for status and identity, diplomatic
search for consensus, security docking with national strategies, and cultural exchange
of popular feelings, so as to eliminate India's inherent mindset, promote the
cooperation and progress of the "the Belt and Road" initiative in South Asia, and
realize the aspirations of common development of all countries