Posted on 02/25/2009 1:29:49 PM PST by MyTwoCopperCoins
China, emboldened by what it clearly sees as a renewed US tilt towards Beijing, is pushing the agenda in South Asia yet again.
In an editorial in People's Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese government, China said that for the US to get Afghanistan right, it must first stabilise Pakistan and the India-Pakistan relationship.
To safeguard its interests in the fight against terrorism in South Asia, the US must ensure a stable domestic and international environment for Pakistan and ease the tension between Pakistan and India, the daily said.
This made it easy to understand why US President Barack Obama appointed Richard Holbrooke as special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan issues, and why India was included in Holbrooke's first foreign visit, it added. In fact, the "Afghan problem", the "Pakistani problem" and the "Indian-Pakistani problem" were all related, it went on to say.
These sentiments are not going to endear China to India, though it certainly gives a big dose of confidence to Pakistan, which has been feeling the heat of US pressure of late. It feeds into every well-known feeling here that China is really out to undermine India, something it has tried to deny -- unsuccessfully -- after the fiasco at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in September 2008.
China is, in effect, asking for Holbrooke to return to his original mandate of including Kashmir in his South Asia brief. Indian officials considered it a diplomatic victory to have changed the US brief to keep India and Kashmir out of Holbrooke's agenda. But realistically, even New Delhi is aware that some months down the line, when the present US policy to stabilise Afghanistan or Pakistan isn't really working, and Pakistan ups the ante on a deal on Kashmir to keep fighting the Taliban, the US may find itself tempted to pick up the Kashmir part of the brief again.
Until then, from Beijing's point of view, it makes sense to push India back into the South Asia hyphenation once again. Over the past few years, India had successfully pushed itself out of the swamp of India-Pakistan hyphenation, with sustained economic growth and then with the nuclear deal with the world.
A sinking Pakistan, resurgent Taliban, imminent US failure in Afghanistan and the Mumbai attacks have all contributed to push India back into the box. And Beijing, which was never comfortable with the George Bush-India lovefest, is going to make sure India stays there.
While there are no reports yet of conversations between the Chinese leadership and US secretary of state Hillary Clinton during her latest visit there, it's almost certain that Afghanistan and South Asia figured in the discussions.
China's push to the US to mediate between India and Pakistan, despite India being allergic to the thought, is significant. It is also part of China's latest efforts to do some of its own mediation in this region.
In a recent article in the Chinese language magazine Huanqiu, Fu Xiaojiang, from the China Institute for Contemporary International Relations, wrote that China had sent its special envoy to South Asia to mediate between India and Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks. It shows that China is paying more attention to the security of its neighbourhood, and is more willing to shoulder its burden and its big power moral (duty) to preserve regional security. This is the same thread that runs through the People's Daily editorial.
Fu continues, "The two countries' (India and Pakistan) contradictions are at the root of South Asia's security problems and is also the key problem that comes up when big powers consider the situation in South Asia. Actually India accepting the mediation/good offices of US and China would be favourable for India-Pakistan relations and for the entire region."
He doesn’t care about trivial stuff like that. He just wants to help all his Muslims buddies out and spend America bankrupt.
The India ISLAM problem has been going on for 1300 years. i don’t think the USA is going to solve the problem.
The brits trieds once, and we ended up with Paki-Stan.
Yes, master. Just loan us the money and stimulate us.
HA! We need to work on serruptitiously splitting China into multiple States. It’s too large, people-wise, to manage any other way. Taiwan needs to be an independent State, too.
China always uses their minions to do their dirty work. Since the Porkulus, they actually own us - or at least Obama - so now we are going to do what China wants us to. Simple math.
Now that all business with China goes thru Hillary instead of Commerce, the ChiComs own the USA. They are willing to fund the Porkulus in the hopes that their export economy won’t crash.
Great idea,,
and next, how about making a cold fusion machine and a map leading to the cave where Yeti lives?
Ghandi couldn’t make those two get along, and our communist, islamic, illegitimate Kenyan can?
India tell the Chicoms to STFU and mind their own problems lest India withdraw recognition of China’s sovereignty over Tibet and Xinjiang for starters.
India will deal with the US on its own terms. Any attempts by the Big O or anyone else to force India will only get the American influence in the region to wane. India can very easily sabotage American attempts to “be nice” to Pakistan by sending an army to work with the Afghans. We’ll see what the turtle-eggs in Beijing will do when their sissy eunuchs in the Pakistani army go running, tails between their legs to their masters for help.
Chicom bast***s.
>>India will deal with the US on its own terms. Any attempts by the Big O or anyone else to force India will only get the American influence in the region to wane.
True.
The Indians have proven to be quite stubborn mofos when it comes to matters of core national interest. The entire world, technology denial, famine etc among other hardships could not force Delhi to abandon its N-weapons program. (Don’t hetme wrong. India 100% merits its own N-weapons force, IMHO). I pity the fools who think they can wrest Kashmir by leaning on Delhi. They are welcome to try though.
>>India can very easily sabotage American attempts to “be nice” to Pakistan by sending an army to work with the Afghans.
The Indian army in Afgn? wow. Not happening without land access to Afgn, possibly via the chahbahar port in Iran. Its an interesting proposition if you think about it but I think its premature.
>>We’ll see what the turtle-eggs in Beijing will do when their sissy eunuchs in the Pakistani army go running, tails between their legs to their masters for help.
PRC has successfully boxed in India all these years. I wouldn’t underestimate the chicoms. But yes, once India gets its N-triad operational, the field would truly be leveled. More PRC antics inside India’s borders would then become untenable.
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