Wang Jinguo Zhang Lihui

Abstract：India is a node country of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, its attitude has an important impact on the smooth progress of the Initiative in the South Asian countries. However, the attitude of India has changed from wait-and-see to resistance. This article attempts to transcend the dichotomy between realism and idealism, and adopts a constructivist paradigm to explain the cognitive drivers of attitude change in India. The article uses three core concepts of constructivism: “identity (great power status)” “regulation (observance of international order)”, and “culture (multiple and multilateralism)” to analyze Modi’s construction of national identity discourse and its impact of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative attitude. These three discourses together constitute India’s national image, that is, a country that has just achieved great power status, a country that adheres to existing international norms and rules, and a country that advocates freedom, democracy, and support for multilateralism. This article argues that India’s perception of the “Belt and Road” initiative is in contradiction with its construction of national identity.