Criticising India for not taking an "explicit stance" on China's new mega initiatives like the Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road, a state-run Chinese think tank today said India is still nervous about China's growing strength despite improving bilateral economic ties.
"Instead of taking an explicit stance on Beijing's initiatives such as the "One Belt and One Road" initiative, New Delhi only expressed interest in studying the India-China- Bangladesh-Myanmar Economic Corridor, (BCIM)," a scholar of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies said in an article carried by the Global Times today.
BCIM, according to China, is part of the number of silk roads including the main silk road connecting China and Europe through central Asia and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Besides, Chinese President Xi Jinping also proposed a 21st century Maritime Silk Road for which India sought details.
China is yet to come with a final blue print of all the initiatives even though Xi announced USD 40 billion fund for it.
Several countries including Sri Lanka and the Maldives expressed support for the Maritime Silk road project.
While India has not made its stand clear, "it welcomes Washington's Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor project in exchange of US and Japan's support for its Mekong-Ganga Cooperation project", the article titled 'India still nervous about China's growing strength despite economic ties' said.
"India's different attitudes toward China in strategy and economy show its mentality over the bilateral relations: It views China as its competitor in Indo-Pacific geopolitics though it longs to take advantage of the Asian powerhouse to boost its economy", it said.
"Moreover, New Delhi is deluded in its own position, thinking that it can play a role of a strategic lever in Asia and the world at large", it said.
"There is no denying that the lack of strategic mutual trust triggered by the border dispute still constitutes the biggest obstacle in China-India relations. But friendly negotiations and mutual understanding are the best way to address this conundrum", it said.
"When China and India lack sufficient strategic mutual trust, forging a close personal relationship between top leaders will be conducive to the smooth development of the bilateral ties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's likely future China visit will help him in further understanding China. In this way, the two emerging countries will probably turn into real partners with each other," it said.
