India’s refusal to join BRI to harm its connectivity with South Asian countries: Global Times

BEIJING, April 9 (APP):India’s refusal to cooperate under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will make it lose many growth opportunities and harm its connectivity with other countries in South Asia.
India turned down an official invitation from China to attend the second Belt and Road Forum, which will take place later in April in Beijing.
“China’s invitation to India to join the forum… takes into account India’s development needs,” Lou Chunhao, deputy director of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.
The promotion of the BRI in South Asia will help advance regional connectivity in terms of capital, technology and people, which is not only conducive to China’s development but will also drive other countries including India.
“The initiative will help India strengthen ties with other countries in the region,” Lou said.
South Asia is one of the significant regions to advance the BRI, as can be seen in some pilot projects that have been smoothly conducted.
Gwadar, a small fishing town located in southwestern Pakistan, has achieved several development milestones, including port transport, a business center and a free zone, under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has been advanced over the past five years.
Experts said that the BRI is entering a new phase with more and more third-party participation and the initiative will further expand to global markets such as Africa and Europe, and promote the development of the surrounding areas of the Indian Ocean.
Italy and Luxembourg recently signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) on the BRI with China, bringing the number of similar documents to 22 in Europe.
“If India insists on turning its back on cooperation under the BRI or even interferes with certain projects, it will miss many development opportunities and its links with other South Asian countries would be harmed,” Lou said.
Infrastructure construction under the BRI also saw stable growth in many South Asian countries.
For example, China helped Sri Lanka build a 96-kilometer southern expressway in 2013, which links the capital Colombo with the southern city of Galle.
Apart from the transport sector, the two countries have expanded cooperation into other industries, aiming to transform Sri Lanka into a maritime center in the Indian Ocean region.
China and Bangladesh, which formally joined the BRI in 2016, are engaged in developing projects under the initiative and construction work on the Karnaphuli Tunnel in southern Bangladesh is now in progress.
China and Nepal signed an MOU on the BRI in May 2017 to enhance connectivity in ports, roads, railways, aviation and communications.