China's Belt and Road Initiative and its Impact on Pakistan and India: With Special Reference to Gwadar Port

SANGHAMITRA Mallick; Dr. Nanda Kishor  M S

China's Belt and Road Initiative and its Impact on Pakistan and India: With Special Reference to Gwadar Port

Authors

SANGHAMITRA Mallick department of Politics and International Studies, Pondicherry University
Dr. Nanda Kishor M S Department of Politics and International Studies, Pondicherry University. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2024-100X

Keywords:

BRI, CPEC, Gwadar port, state security, naval power, strategic competition

Abstract

In the twenty-first century, countries are competing to increase their regional connectivity. China and Pakistan are promoting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to promote their respective interest and enhance regional integration under the leadership of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It ensures a long-term economic partnership between two countries primarily it is based on commerce, communication, and transport. The BRI involves many Ports in its plan, like Chittagong Port in Bangladesh, Sittwe Port in Myanmar, and Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka. Gwadar Port in Pakistan is one among these ports. This port is situated in the South-West of Pakistan and 400 kilometers away from the Strait of Hormuz. China wants to enhance its naval power and trade connectivity through this port. This paper investigates and analyses three issues. First, what are the major concerns in CPEC? Second, how does it impact Pakistan, and why are Pakistani people against this project? Third, why is India reluctant to join this initiative?

Author Biography

Dr. Nanda Kishor M S , Department of Politics and International Studies, Pondicherry University.

Dr. Nanda Kishor M S is an Associate Professor at Department of Politics and International Studies, Pondicherry University and formerly Head, Department of Geopolitics and International Relations and Coordinator of Centre for Polish and Central European Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal. He holds an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Hyderabad Central University (HCU), Hyderabad, India and completed Postdoc at the University of Leiden, Netherlands, with ERASMUS MUNDUS Fellowship from the European Union. He has been teaching Geopolitics of West Asia, India’s Foreign Policy, Concept of War and Peace in Geopolitics, Terrorism and Asymmetric Conflicts.He was a recipient of the Short-Term Junior Research Fellowship from UNHCR, Brookings, Government of Finland and MCRG (Kolkata). He visited Hochschule University of Applied Sciences, Bremen, Germany, on a short-term fellowship by the DAAD sponsored program of HS Bremen in 2012. He was part of the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) by the United States during June-July 2013. He is a Senior Fellow at Defence Research and Studies (DRaS) in India, Non-Resident Fellow of Middle East Institute New Delhi, Advisor and Subject Expert for COVINTS, a Bangalore based Risk Analyst Company, Analyst at Islamic Theology of Counter-Terrorism (London), Visiting Fellow to AIDIA (Kathmandu), was Features Editor (Security Studies) of Science, Technology and Security forum (MARG-MAHE). He has several publications in journals and edited volumes.

China's Belt and Road Initiative and its Impact on Pakistan and India: With Special Reference to Gwadar Port