Day 34 – Q 1.How do infrastructure projects strengthen a nation’s geostrategic standing? Examine in the light of strategy adopted by China and India’s response to it.
1. How do infrastructure projects strengthen a nation’s geostrategic standing? Examine in the light of strategy adopted by China and India’s response to it.
बुनियादी ढांचा परियोजनाएं देश की भूगर्भीय स्थिति को कैसे मजबूत करती हैं? चीन के द्वारा अपनाई गई रणनीति और भारत की प्रतिक्रिया के प्रकाश में जांच करें।
Synopsis:
The importance of infrastructure for sustained economic development is well recognized, along with that these projects will strengthen the nations geostrategic standing. High transaction costs arising from inadequate and inefficient infrastructure can prevent the economy from realizing its full growth potential regardless of the progress on other fronts.
Infrastructure projects & networks are significant since they will create the modern arteries of Global trade, Cyber connectivity & transport in the 21st century. The nation or group controlling such routes & networks is also likely to be a dominant regional & global player as it can control & guide the flow of goods, info & people& will thus gain a decisive say in Global politics while others will become dependent on it.
India and China got independence in same decade, However China is emerging as global power and India is still developing country.
Strategy adopted by China in infrastructure project:
- Infrastructure: China has highest no of dams in the world. China has developed so many ports and roads which boost their external and internal trade and connectivity. China has developed Ghost City and useless bridges for employment generation only.
- Environment: China has been continuously exploiting its natural resources (land, water , sea, forest) for her greed and economic prosperity.
- International Relation: Artificial Land in south china sea, Debt trap of Srilanka due to humbantota port, financial assistance in Pakistan for OBOR, Doklam Dispute with Bhutan, depletion of currency for export benefit and others reflect the selfish attitude of Chinese policy.
- Social prosperity: China is following the communalism hence people are not so much independence like democratic nations like land, work permit, settlement and utilization of resources. Skewed population policy with aggressive approach.
China’s strategy:
The most important of which is the Belt & Road initiative of China which aims at developing Road, Maritime, Digital connectivity’s centering on China & expanding from Asia to Europe & parts of Africa. Connecting with Pakistan and other strategic locations to India.
India’s response:
Counter to this lies India’s individual projects like Spice route, Mausam & Shared projects (with US ,Japan etc.) like SAGAR & Indo -Pacific & Asia -Africa growth corridors.
India is also involved in Bilateral & multilateral infra projects like
- Sittwe, Seychelles, Chabahar & Sabang ports,
- Gas, transport & power grids to Bangladesh.
- Infra projects in Afghanistan like salma dam, Central Asia
- Digital, Physical & Financial infra in Africa.
- Connectivity projects with SE Asia.
Conclusion:
It endures repeating that India’s choice of strategy is not stagnant and has to be based on the prevailing balance of power. If this changes, the strategy also has to change. For example, if India’s power were to become roughly comparable to China’s, India would not even need alliances but could balance China with its own internal resources.
Best Answer: Tango Ism
