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China's stance towards pakistan shows a shift in China's policy. Talk to Indians and NO fights, You hear
Old friendship, new realities
By M. H. Askari
highlights from the article are bolded
1: Age-old cliches such as "as lofty as the Karakorams and as deep as the oceans" are beginning to sound itualistic. Relations between Pakistan and China have to be structured around more substantial issues.
2: direct its efforts towards strengthening the "opening up policy" and, on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence, develop relations and economic relations and cultural ties with all countries.
3: China would establish normal relations with all countries."
4 "wars cannot solve problems" and that negotiations
between Pakistan and India under the Lahore declaration must continue,
5: no reference to the Kargil issue, nor resorted to any rhetorics to condemn India's role.
6:China today is largely inward looking and that the matters of foremost concern to China today are its own economic advancement, admission to WTO, return of
Formosa to the mainland and freedom from hegemonism.
7:China is firmly opposed to the imposition of the will of one nation over the affairs of another.
8:prefer the path of negotiations in recent statements called and for a resumption of bilateral talks.
BEIJING'S gesture of special warmth and goodwill for Pakistan which was in
evidence on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Chinese People's Republic
was perhaps something only to have been expected in view of the close ties that the
two countries have enjoyed for long years. However, this should not obscure from our
view the present-day realities of China's political and strategic objectives which have
undergone a radical change in the past two decades.
China is all set to become a world power. Pakistan continues to be saddled with its
problems of economic and political instability. It would be unrealistic to expect that in
the present context Sino-Pakistan ties should continue to be based on the situation as it
existed two or three decades ago. Pakistan's expectation of China as a friend and ally
should take into account the realities of today and not remain rooted in whatever had
been the experience at the outset.
A visit to Beijing on the occasion of the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the
People's Republic, even though confined to a somewhat rigid pre-determined agenda,
served to underscore the importance of a change in perceptions. Age-old cliches such
as "as lofty as the Karakorams and as deep as the oceans" are beginning to sound
ritualistic. Relations between Pakistan and China have to be structured around more
substantial issues.
This is not to deny, however, the special significance which the Chinese attach to their
inter-action with Pakistanis, invariably referring to the bilateral ties as "all-weather."
However, to anyone who observed the proceedings of the fiftieth anniversary of
China's revolution, it was clear that for ties between the two countries to be meaningful
will need to have more substantial contents.
While addressing the Pakistan Institute of International Relations in Karachi the other
day, China's ambassador, Lu Shulin, recounted his country's major achievements in the
field of foreign policy. He also stressed that in the coming years his country would
direct its efforts towards strengthening the "opening up policy" and, on the basis of the
five principles of peaceful coexistence, develop relations and economic relations and
cultural ties with all countries.
The ambassador amplified his statement by adding that the social, political and
economic systems of various nations should be determined by the countries
themselves. While maintaining that China in recent decades has concentrated on
playing an active role in international affairs, the Ambassador said it had made
"contributions to world peace and development and exhibited a big-country image of
being peaceful, friendly, stressing principle and responsibility." He also declared that
"China does not conduct ideological arguments" and that "based on the five principles
of peaceful coexistence, China would establish normal relations with all countries."
Ambassador Lu Shulin did not specifically claim any credit for his country in the
context of its assistance to Pakistan in any particular field, economic or military. To a
member in the audience who seemed disappointed at the ambassador not making any
particular reference to China's position on the Kashmir issue and on India-Pakistan
differences while recounting the highlights of China's foreign policy, the ambassador
responded by saying that Kashmir was an issue left over by history and should be
resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions and the Simla Agreement. He
continued nonetheless that "wars cannot solve problems" and that negotiations
between Pakistan and India under the Lahore declaration must continue, adding that
"we are supportive of negotiations. Let us hope talks (begun after the Lahore meeting
of the prime ministers of the two countries) will resume." To the best of one's
recollection, he made no reference to the Kargil issue, nor resorted to any rhetorics to
condemn India's role.
For China today, the priority is its own economic development and this was fully
reflected in President Jiang Zemin's address at the magnificent rally in Beijing's
Tiananmen Square on October 1. Fifty years earlier from the same rostrum Chairman
Mao Zedong had proclaimed the birth of New China. Significantly, president Jiang
recalled "the arduous struggle and strenuous efforts of the Chinese people in the past
half a century" but identified the policy of economic reform and "opening up" during the
past 20 years as the milestones which had "brought about earthshaking changes to the
erstwhile poor and weak China." Stressing that socialism is the only way to develop
China, he also asserted that "building socialism with Chinese characteristics provides a
broad road to economic prosperity and overall social progress of China."
Alongside economic development, President Jiang emphasized that the peaceful
reunification of Taiwan with the mainland is his country's objective. He was confident
that China would surely emerge as "a prosperous, strong, democratic and culturally
advanced modern socialist country in the east of the world."To those who were
present at the grand rally in Beijing on October 1, it was clear that while the awesome
array of weapons on display, over 90 per cent of which had been developed in the last
decade and a half, was unquestionably impressive, China's main thrust is towards
economic advancement. The Chinese leadership feels convinced that this is the only
way to neutralize the unipolarity in today's international situation.
This impression is also confirmed by the contents of an officially sponsored special
supplement of the International Herald Tribune of October 1, including an interview
with the Chinese premier Zhu Rongji. The bulk of questions addressed to him dealt
with economic matters and with what he called a proactive policy, "putting into play
monetary policy, increasing investment, stimulating consumption and increasing exports
by various means." He reiterated the importance of China finding its due place in the
World Trade Organization (WTO).
Premier Zhu said that the goal put forward at the 15th Congress of the Communist
Party of China was to ensure China's entry into WTO. He disclosed that it had been
decided to relieve within three years "the majority of those large and medium-sized
enterprises suffering losses (on account) of the current difficult situation and initially
build up a modern enterprise system for them by the end of this century." To the
common man, these words would mean a scheme for privatization, albeit cautious and
selective privatization.
Incidentally, almost all of the background articles provided to the members of the
Pakistani media group invited to witness the October revolution celebrations related to
China's economy one way or another: reform of state-owned enterprises, China's
booming private firms, fledgling stock market serving China's economy, agriculture -
these are among China's top priorities. Some others dealt with China's prospects in the
21st century. Questions like whether all this would dilute Communism to China
naturally come to mind. Chinese spokesmen do not think so.
Coincidentally, the '99 Global Fortune Forum also opened in Shanghai two days
before the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. It was attended by some 300 heads of
leading multinationals, including General Motors, Ford, Mitsui and Royal Dutch/Shell
groups. The theme of the Forum was China: the next 50 years. President Jiang Zemin,
speaking at the banquet held in their honour called upon the foreign business leaders to
participate in China's modernization programme.
To mitigate the western society's excessive concern about the state of human rights,
President Jiang declared that the Chinese people had always respected the dignity and
worth of human beings and that the great vitality displayed all over China demonstrated
"the tremendous space that the Chinese people had to freely express and
democratically exercise their creativity." He added that China had provided the rights
to survival and development to over 1.2 billion of its people which should be seen as a
major contribution to the promotion of the cause of human rights all over the world.
Based on one's observations during a week's visit to China, one would inevitably infer
that China today is largely inward looking and that the matters of foremost concern to
China today are its own economic advancement, admission to WTO, return of
Formosa to the mainland and freedom from hegemonism. By hegemonism, what
Beijing seems to stress is the need to break Washington's monopoly to give a final
verdict on issues which lie within the prerogative of the UN.
China is firmly opposed to the imposition of the will of one nation over the affairs of
another. In respect of tensions between India and Pakistan, it appears to prefer the
path of negotiations in recent statements called and for a resumption of bilateral talks.
Even in respect of the problems caused by the nuclearization moves by India and
Pakistan, China has proposed a restraint regime which could be evolved by the two
countries in consultation with China. It continues to regard its relations with Pakistan as
of prime importance but would expect this country to act with prudence in the event of
a crisis.
Post-script: Pakistan's media delegation had the chance to visit the grand mosque of
Xian, capital of Shaanxi province in north-west China. Xian is the starting point of the
ancient Silk Route. The mosque was built around 742 AD. The structure was widened
by the subsequent ruling dynasties. Special funds are allocated for the upkeep and
renovation of the mosque every year. In 1956 the mosque was decreed to be an
important historical and cultural site placed under the protection of the provincial
authorities.
Unfortunately, the short strip of road to the mosque was quite shabby and unclean in
contrast to the neat and tidy streets which one otherwise found in Xian. From their
unattractive environments, the fairly sizable Muslim community living close to the
mosque appear to be lagging behind in China's race for modernization.
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