India rejects BRI in SCO joint statement, stresses need to curb terrorist groups, stands its ground
Post Date – Friday, July 23 – 12:30pm
As host of the virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), India has been forced to walk a tightrope to deal with the inherent contradictions of the Eurasian bloc created by China, Russia and Pakistan. New Delhi has effectively defended its position on a wide range of issues without compromising the overall goals of the nine member states. In a joint statement, India declined to support China’s Belt and Road Initiative and emphasized the need to curb terrorist groups operating freely on Pakistani soil, a sign of India’s assertion on an issue with far-reaching implications for the country. Iran has joined the group as its ninth member. For India, which chairs both the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the G20 this year, the incident has brought friction between the West and the Sino-Russian partnership amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and Beijing’s growing hegemony in the Middle East. Here comes the great diplomatic challenge. region and its strong presence in global geopolitics. In fact, India is the only member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with close ties to the United States, Russia and Iran, despite tensions between India and China over the border standoff. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who chaired the event, addressed the threat terrorism poses to security in the region and stressed the need for a common strategy. But differences among member states did not affect the SCO summit, which ended with a statement. However, New Delhi has refused to sign on to the SCO 2030 Economic Development Strategy, which has been adopted by some member states, because the document is largely in line with Chinese policy.
India has also made clear its opposition to the Belt and Road Initiative, which includes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) under construction through Pakistan-administered Kashmir. New Delhi rightly views CPEC’s progress in the region as a flagrant violation of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Meanwhile, the summit’s focus on regional security and connectivity is good for India’s growth. The SCO also provides India with an interface with Central Asian markets and resources. Joining the SCO is a key part of India’s ambition to achieve multilateral alignment and strategic autonomy while becoming a balanced power in the world. China’s duplicity is not obvious. In May, it boycotted a G20 tourism working group meeting in Srinagar on the grounds that Jammu and Kashmir was a “disputed territory”. In stark contrast, Beijing is business as usual with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ambitious road connectivity project. During the SCO summit, India effectively cornered Pakistan and China on cross-border terrorism and exposed their accomplices. China has repeatedly blocked Indian and US proposals at the UN to clamp down on Pakistani terrorists.
