According to a government report released on Friday, despite some difficulties, Chinese experts remain optimistic about the prospects of Sino-Indian cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

India has been largely silent and reserved about the initiative since it was first announced, and the country has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project for the initiative. Nevertheless, China is confident in its ability to bring economic benefits to India through the initiative, and the recent report points out several ways in which "Belt and Road" is poised to help India meet its objectives.

One example is the way the initiative fulfills Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on development. Another example is the basic infrastructure development that "Belt and Road" can provide, which will help India to break its developmental bottleneck. Multiple financial institutions, including the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and Silk Road Fund, can readily offer financing guarantees for joint Sino-Indian infrastructure projects, the report noted.

Both the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road Economic Belt stretch to the Indian Ocean where India holds its core maritime interests. Therefore discrepancy and objection hence follow. However, "the primary motivation of the Belt and Road Initiative is economic...but the lack of mutual trust has caused an exaggeration of security concerns in India. This is a simple misunderstanding," said the report. 

The new report, compiled jointly by the Center for One Belt One Road under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and CITIC Foundation for Reform and Development Studies, is the first one to detail the development of various “Belt and Road” construction projects.