The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China's global infrastructure and connectivity programme, launched in 2013, which funds ports, railways, roads, pipelines and power projects across Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond. India opposes it mainly because its flagship China–Pakistan Economic Corridor passes through Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The BRI revived the image of the ancient Silk Road, the network of trade routes that linked China with Central Asia, Persia and the Mediterranean. Officially, it aims to improve connectivity and trade. Analysts also see it as a way for China to use excess industrial capacity, secure energy and trade routes, internationalise its currency and build political influence.
India's objection was first made formally in May 2017, when it stayed away from the first Belt and Road Forum. India stated that connectivity projects must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, follow international norms, good governance and transparency, and not create unsustainable debt. The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which links Kashgar in Xinjiang to Gwadar port in Balochistan, passes through Gilgit-Baltistan, which India claims as part of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Key features and provisions
Corridors: six land corridors were announced, including CPEC, the China–Mongolia–Russia corridor and the New Eurasian Land Bridge.
Maritime road: port projects such as Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Gwadar (Pakistan), Kyaukphyu (Myanmar) and Piraeus (Greece).
Financing: mostly loans, often at commercial rates, rather than grants.
Bilateral deals: projects negotiated country by country, often with limited transparency.
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