India: Project Mausam

Project Mausam is a foreign policy initiative of the Indian government under Narendra Modi. It envisions a new platform for cooperation in the vast area extending from the South Asian subcontinent to other parts of the Indian Ocean littoral, in which India will play the leading role.

Rooted in the history of trade between the littoral countries deeply influenced by Indian culture, the project pushes for renewed collaboration among these countries in the exploration of maritime resources, and trade.

“季風計劃”是印度莫迪政府嘗試“借古謀今”的一種外交戰略新構想，設想在從南亞次大陸到整個環印度洋的廣大區域內，打造以印度為主導的環印度洋地區互利合作新平臺。“季風計劃”以深受印度文化影響的環印度洋地區以及該地區國家間悠久的貿易往來歷史為依托，以印度為主力，推進環印度洋地區國家間在共同開發海洋資源、促進經貿往來等領域的合作。

Initially proposed as a cultural program, Project Mausam is now evolving into a quasi-strategic initiative with diplomatic and economic reverberations.

India was a major staging post on the ancient Silk Road routes on the sea, and today it is an important partner of China in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative. There is no conflict between “Project Mausam” and China’s initiative in either structure or nature; on the contrary the two can be readily aligned and even integrated.

莫迪政府的“季風計劃”經歷了從最初的文化項目定位發展成為具有外交、經濟功能的準戰略規劃。印度是古代“海上絲路”的重要驛站,也是中國共建共享“一帶一路”的重要伙伴。“季風計劃”與“一帶一路”在結構和本質上并不具有天然的對抗性，反而能實現相互對接甚至融合。