Indian Perceptions of "One Belt One Road" and China's Policy Choices

[Author]

LIN Minwang,

Assistant to Dean andResearcher of Institute of International Studies, Fudan University

Deputy Director of the Center for South Asian Studies, Fudan University

Director of Chinese Association for South Asian Studies

Researcher of Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing University

Non-Resident Fellows at iGCU of Peking University

[Abstract]

After Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the"One Belt One Road (OBOR)" initiatives in the fall of 2013, it has received broad support from neighboring countries. Among the three big powers around China, Russia showed its great enthusiasm for OBOR and Indonesia tried to combine its "Global Maritime Axis" with OBOR, while India has been reticent in its response. This paper tries to study how OBOR has been perceived by Indians, and whether India should join OBOR. On the one hand, some Indian analysts argue that OBOR will provide India a great opportunity for "Made in India". On the other hand, some holds that OBOR will make China inroad into India's backyard, and will stir up the Indian Ocean. Thus, Indian government has not formally agreed to OBOR. Finally, the author proposes policy choices to defuse Sino-Indian strategic distrust.

[Key Words] One Belt One Road, Indian perception of OBOR, China's grand strategy, policy choice, peripheral diplomacy