Blaming India using Kashmir as an unfounded excuse to oppose the Silk Road project China has taken the route of using its controlled media asking India to abandon cliché mentality. It is something like asking to give away the legitimate right of India on Kashmir. Strange? Everyone knows Kashmir is a disputed land for the last 70 years and is not a new thing. Despite knowing that fact this newly resurgent China considers itself privileged enough to do whatever it wants which is questionable. Chinese are worried about the safety and future of their massive investments in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and as guarantee wants India to be a partner. China sees by investing more resources will bring in regional integration and it can avail benefits from India’s rapid economic growth and also other South Asian countries as New Delhi can maintain its influence in the region. The official reason the Indian Government rejected the offer to join the initiative (Silk Road) is that it is designed to pass through Kashmir. So for India the Silk Road which is also known as the ‘Belt and Road’ (BR) initiative is a geopolitical competition. China apparently is keen about India’s participation in the summit as the project is struggling to make headway in the region except the $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) where both Beijing-Islamabad are putting all efforts to show early harvest. Belt and Road consists of maze of roads, including CPEC, Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor and 21st Maritime Silk Road besides road network to connect China with Eurasia. China needs India’s assistance as it sees the neighbour is the only one which can help itself. For India the connectivity brought about by the initiative is seen geopolitically significant, so how a country whose sovereignty has been violated can come on an invitation, is no cliché mentality reaction. Benign competition between China and India will be conducive to development in South Asia. The question remaining is how to avoid cut-throat competition as Beijing and New Delhi jostle for influence. India and China should seek common ground while strengthening cooperation with South Asian countries to promote regional integration.
