Beijing: At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Tianjin, China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a cordial meeting and agreed on the need to strengthen bilateral relations. Yet, when it came to China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), India once again stood apart from the rest of the bloc—firmly rejecting the project despite support from most member nations.
In the final declaration of the summit, countries including Russia, Türkiye, Pakistan, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan endorsed the BRI. India was the only country that refused to join this consensus, continuing its long-standing opposition.
Why India Says No to BRI
India’s objection to the BRI primarily stems from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key component of the project. The corridor passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), a territory New Delhi considers an integral part of India. By allowing construction in this disputed area, India argues, China is undermining India’s sovereignty.
At the summit, PM Modi sent a strong but indirect message in the presence of Xi Jinping and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Without naming CPEC, he underlined that “any connectivity initiative that disregards the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations lacks legitimacy.”
India’s Alternative Vision
While rejecting BRI, PM Modi emphasized that India is not against connectivity itself, but against projects that compromise national sovereignty. He highlighted India’s efforts in developing alternative routes like the Chabahar Port in Iran and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which aim to boost trade, trust, and development across the region.
The Bigger Picture
For China, the BRI is a flagship global infrastructure initiative designed to expand its influence through roads, ports, and railways across Asia, Europe, and Africa. For India, however, the project symbolizes a geopolitical challenge tied to its territorial disputes with Pakistan.
By taking this uncompromising stance at the SCO, PM Modi has signaled that while India values regional cooperation, national sovereignty remains non-negotiable—even if it means standing alone against most of the bloc.
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