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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Comments on China and Pakistan: Corridor of power | The Economist

Comments on China and Pakistan: Corridor of power | The Economist

 China and Pakistan

Corridor of power

Xi Jinping arrives, bearing gifts

Apr 20th 2015 | Asia
http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21648918-xi-jinping-arrives-bearing-gifts-corridor-power
EXPECT the diplomatic equivalent of a love-in now that China’s president, Xi
Jinping, has landed in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, for a two-day visit. When
the two countries’ statesmen talk about their “all-weather friendship” they can
sound as if their speechwriters must moonlight as writers of slushy romantic
fiction: the relationship, if they are to be believed, is “deeper than the
deepest ocean”, “higher than the highest mountain”, “sweeter than honey”, etc,
etc.



It is true that they have stuck by each other through thick and thin, and
that China has dealt with whatever government, elected or not, has been thrown
up by the vicissitudes of Pakistani politics. And on this trip, Mr Xi travels
with a promise of lavish Chinese investment in much-needed infrastructure.



Related topics
He is to sign agreements fleshing out a “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor”,
which is to stretch from a Chinese-built port at Gwadar in Pakistan’s southern
province of Balochistan to Kashgar in China’s western region of Xinjiang, and
to cost an estimated $46 billion. It will involve road, rail and pipeline
links.



The two countries have also agreed to co-operate on natural gas, coal, and
solar-energy projects that should provide 16,400 megawatts of electricity:
roughly doubling present generating capacity, and tackling one of the country’s
most serious economic bottlenecks—and a big source of the government’s
unpopularity.



China has also helped Pakistan build six nuclear reactors. This help comes
despite Pakistan’s nuclear-weapons programme, which it pursued (with covert
assistance from the Chinese) to deter its nuclear-armed neighbour, India.



It all sounds too good to be true from Pakistan’s point of view, and it
probably is. As a recent book by Andrew Small (“The China-Pakistan Axis”) makes
clear, economic interactions between China and Pakistan have a history of
ending in disappointment. Gwadar was opened with great fanfare in 2007 but
remains something of a white elephant. And even the strongest symbol of
Chinese-Pakistani economic co-operation, the Karakoram Highway—the “eighth
wonder of the world”, climbing to over 15,000 feet (4,500 metres)—has been impassable
since 2010, when a landslide blocked part of it, and is not expected to be
cleared until this September.



One serious problem for Gwadar has been the instability that plagues
Balochistan. Among Pakistan’s many insurgencies is a Baloch-nationalist one,
which at times has attacked Chinese targets.



Islamist extremism is an equally serious irritant. China has been vexed by
terrorism stemming from the grievances of its Uighur minority, a mainly Muslim
group in Xinjiang, to the point where it regards it as the most pressing threat
to domestic security. The issue has dominated its relations with Pakistan,
especially since a horrific knife attack at the railway station in the
south-western city of Kunming last year in which 29 people were killed. Some
Uighur militants have fought in Afghanistan (22 were held in Guantánamo bay)
and a few dozen more linger on in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Nothing suggests
they can stage attacks in China. But China wonders why Pakistan’s army has not
simply eliminated them.



Some saw a snub in Mr Xi’s failure to make his first visit to Pakistan last
month when he had been invited to attend a military parade marking its national
day; Barack Obama had attended India’s equivalent in January. China wants to
get on with India too, and is playing host to its prime minister, Narendra
Modi, next month.



Nevertheless the perennial benefit for China of the friendship with Pakistan
has been to strengthen its hand against India, thus keeping a potential rival
for influence across the region bogged down in local difficulties. That is not
likely to change any time soon. And Pakistan would be an even greater strategic
asset if the “corridor” succeeds in providing its economy with a massive boost.



Comment:
Having gone through the article
with due care and caution I found the concluding Para of the article ‘quote : “Nevertheless
the perennial benefit for China of the friendship with Pakistan has been to
strengthen its hand against India, thus keeping a potential rival for influence
across the region bogged down in local difficulties. That is not likely to
change any time soon. And Pakistan would be an even greater strategic asset if
the “corridor” succeeds in providing its economy with a massive boost”




carried the main
Jest of the ties of friendship that includes the entire gamete of all subjects
like strategically, defense , economical, political and financial packets in a single
China- Pakistan relationship pact,  might as well usher to a new bright hope for
Pakistan.

In addition,  Geo political stability under the new global
change and in the long stretch India Pakistan animosity  existential environment.  Over and above  such a strong friendship pact would
definitely open up new doors for other regional countries to extend hands of
friendship to China if Pakistan’s friendship survives and is successful.

Having mentioned
the above it is obviously needs to be penned down with respect to the
objectionable existing social relationship between
the two countries.

India and Pakistan
both these countries must change their attitude and amend to leave in peace instead
of committing regular genocide like Israel without any respect for humanity. What is
the difference between Israel and Indian inhuman activities. India is also a
home born terrorist country like Israel.

Coming to the
West it is time that the lone super power takes urgent steps to establish a NATO
like organization in ASIA PACIFIC region. It is not enough to say JAPAN, SOUTH
KOREA, AUSTRALIA and  PHILIPPINE,  as pillar
countries.

All the small and big countries
now friendly with the WEST should be consolidated under an organization just
like NATO with the same aims and objectives. It is far from being enough to tell that
US would be always there to help in time of danger from any quarter.

Not even by establishing Regional Leader, India’s opposition party Congress deeply
attached to the Russian lobby and will undermine any venture WEST may in good
faith take up.

Even Congress has
adopted a national policy of expansionism by annexation like RUSSIA did with
UKRAINE.

The matter should
be kept in view as to what happened lately with one country in South East Asia. It is at this point
here that China is yet to work to gain over all consolidation of the regional countries result and if it is taken care of earlier then WEST
would be sanguine about its standing with 100% grantee. But such pacts should
be permanent.

It is suggested
that it is always better to learn from enemies victory and also defeat to amend
own weaknesses and induct the rectified measure to win the race. Secondly no
General should be over complacent about sure victory of a conflict big or small
or full fledged WAR.

Finally, CHINA -
PAKISTAN  friendship packet is welcome
because it might impact on the ushering to better the Pakistan India peace
process.

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