Kathmandu, April 15 -- Last Monday, India declined China's invitation to attend its Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing on April 25 for the second time. So, while the forum will be hosting delegations from more than 100 countries, including 40 heads of state or government and chiefs of several international and regional organisations, India will again be conspicuous by its absence.

India's choices remain circumscribed by the fact that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor-the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative-not only violates India's sovereignty with its projects running across Pakistani-occupied Kashmir, but Beijing now calls this disputed territory 'Pakistan' without explaining ...