EVENTS

Abstract        

For a long time the Chinese story was purely mercantilist, devoid of ideas that could develop a rapport with the rest of the world. However, the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative has injected a new dimension to the Chinese growth narrative. OBOR, with land and maritime components, seeks fresh routes to connect to the world. The idea is to limit the maritime component in the global supply chain and enable containers to reach their destination faster using motor vehicles and trains. The ports and harbours in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and possibly India are incorporated into the scheme to shorten the sea-time that the to-and-fro trade from Middle-East and Africa has to traverse to reach China. Besides, the geo-economic angle, the OBOR has a huge geo-political dimension attached to it. This presentation discusses the Chinese strategy to build rail and road links over the Eurasian landmass to escape the vice-like grip over maritime trade routes exercised by the United States and its allies. It is an attempt to create new routes on which China will have a greater in managing the service industry related to trade movements.

About the Speaker

Lt. Cdr. Atul Bhardwaj is currently a Senior Fellow of the Indian Council of Social Science Research attached to the Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi. His research relates to National Maritime Strategy. He is an ex- Indian Naval Aviator, with Master's in War Studies from King's College, London. He holds a diploma in International Law and Diplomacy. He has also been a Research Fellow at the Institute of Defence Studies and analyses, New Delhi and has published in Indian and foreign journals. He is completing his PhD from School of Liberal Studies Ambedkar University, Delhi. His research is on “American Encounters in India between two wars - 1940-1962."  The topic deals with Diplomatic history of the period. He writes a regular quarterly column on strategic affairs in the Economic and Political Weekly. His research interests also include History of Indian connections to Tibetan problem. One of his enduring interests is in the privatization of national security.