Wen Jiabao's trip and its implication in South Asia
Yuba Nath Lamsal
Recently, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid a state visit to India and Pakistan which has been viewed as a cornerstone of China\'s South Asia policy. The remarks Wen expressed during his stay in New Delhi and Islamabad are definitely indicative of the fact that Beijing attaches greater priority to South Asia in the changed international scenario. Wen began his South Asia trip from India where he interacted with people from a cross section of society including political leaders, officials, business community and cultural and civil society leaders. During his meeting and interaction in New Delhi, he gave a firm and deliberate message that Beijing is keen to enhance pragmatic relations of all kinds with India irrespective of the long-running border dispute and other issues. Economic and cultural cooperation and exchanges figured more prominently in the agenda of bilateral discussion. More importantly figured the trade issue. Beijing and New Delhi laid special focus on boosting bilateral trade setting the target of increasing trade to 100 billion US dollars by 2015. Currently, bilateral trade between China and India stands slightly over 60 billion US dollars. China\'s interest is more on economic and trade cooperation, which Beijing views as an important vehicle to reinvigorate bilateral relations that would mark a clear departure from the old hangover of conflict and suspicion. The Chinese Premier has given the message of Beijing\'s willingness to see bilateral relationship with India as they were during the \'Hindi-Chini bhai bhai\' era irrespective of some pressing issues that are yet to be settled. With India, Beijing has long-running border dispute over which these countries fought a war in 1962. China has claimed over a huge part of territory India has occupied. The entire Arunachal Pradesh is a disputable area, which China claims to be the South Tibet taken forcibly by British colonial rulers when China was weak and was engaged more in its internal problem. China wants the border with India to be redrawn based on historical evidences. The McMahon line which was drawn unilaterally as a border between China and India by British colonial power has not been acceptable to Beijing and it wants back the territories as they historically belonged to China. Despite past hostilities, China wants to bury the hatchets and begin a fresh to have friendly and cordial relationship with India. But it largely depends upon the response and reciprocity of New Delhi, which seems not to have fully understood the Beijing\'s benign motive. India does not seem to have got rid of the old hangover and it still sees Beijing as its enemy, perhaps because of its new alliance with the United States, which dubs China as its security threat. India has always adopted anti-China policy and entered into security alliance with other countries against China. During the Cold War era, when Russia was China\'s main security threat, New Delhi hastened to enter into strategic and security alliance with Moscow clearly targeting against China. Even now, India\'s policy to contain and weaken China has not ceased but intensified. The latest US-India strategic alliance is its evidence, which has irked Beijing to some extent. Despite New Delhi\'s dubious nature, Beijing is open and willing to have friendly and cooperative relationship with India. In fact, China does not see India as its security threat. This view was well and more clearly expressed by Premier Wen in New Delhi who said that \'China and India are not competitors but partners\'. Wen demonstrated similar posture in Islamabad which was viewed more positively by the government and people of Pakistan. China and Pakistan concluded some deals worth 15 billion dollars. Additionally private sectors of both the countries signed 20 million worth of business deals to be initiated jointly. During his stay in Islamabad, Wen assured that China would always be in Pakistan\'s side at the time of difficulty, which was reciprocated by Pakistani counterpart that Islamabad always valued China and its friendship, goodwill and cooperation with utmost importance. In fact, China and Pakistan are all-weather friends or friends in need. For China as well, Pakistan carries special significance and China has been providing all kinds of assistance and support Beijing can offer. At a time when India has adopted hostile policy towards both China and Pakistan, it is Beijing\'s responsibility to cooperate with Pakistan for its own security also power balance in South Asia. The support that China has been providing to Pakistan is also guided by its neighborly attitude but not intended against any other countries. Beijing\'s South Asia policy is motivated by its security and economic interests. There are, of course, some natural allies of China in South Asia. Beijing wants to further nurture the cordial and cooperative relation with South Asian neighbours to cope with newer challenges which would benefit the people of China as well as these countries. Except India, China\'s relations with all South Asian countries are excellent. However, China also does not have any ill-will even against India. But India suffers from the old hangover which has been the main stumbling block for further developing Sino-India ties and settling the remaining issues including border dispute. Beijing wants to have more cooperative and constructive relations with all South Asian countries because China shares border with five of the eight countries of the region. Beijing is pursuing the \'neighbour first\' policy on the basis of which it is vigorously pushing for friendly ties and mutual cooperation among its neighbours in South Asia, though it is not its front yard. Beijing has perfectly friendly and cordial relations with almost all countries of South Asia including Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and even Afghanistan. Since it has common border with five South Asian countries, Beijing definitely has its security interests. The 1962 war and territorial dispute with India, India-US strategic alliance, terrorism in South Asia, India-Pakistan tension and Kashmir problem are some of the issues that have raised Beijing\'s security concerns vis-a-vis South Asia. Additionally, Beijing\'s concerns are related to anti-China activities sporadically carried out by some separatist and criminal elements. Although India has adopted one-China policy under which it has accepted Tibet as a part of China, the separatist groups occasionally carry out anti-China activities which have received support from groups in India and also in Nepal. New Delhi has often instigated Tibetan separatist and criminal groups against China, which is a matter of security concern for Beijing. China has already grown as the second largest economy. It is a matter of pride for South Asian countries because our next door friend is a global power. With its economic might, China\'s clout in the international arena has also grown, which Beijing wants to utilize for the benefit of the developing countries. South Asian countries, too, can take benefit from China\'s development and prosperity. China is a bridge between South Asia and East Asia. China has already an observer status in the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), an association of eight South Asian countries. Now it would do well if China is brought to the SAARC as a full-fledged member because it is very much the part of South Asia. China\'s involvement would make SAARC more vibrant and effective with both resources, international clout. China is also interested to get involved in the South Asian regional grouping. So far SAARC has been India-centric because of various reasons including its size, population and economic strength. China\'s involvement in the SAARC would also be a countervailing factor in the SAARC. With China\'s entry into SAARC, this group would be the association of the almost half of the people in the world—biggest international body after the United Nations. It would not be justice to grant China with the status given to far away countries like Japan, South Korea and the United States. Wen Jiabao visit to South Asia\'s two largest members— India and Pakistan—is an indication that China wants to play more constructive and cooperative role in South Asia and its development. It is a good opportunity for South Asia to bring China—the world\'s economic power—into the SAARC forum as a full-fledged member. It is now up to the South Asian countries to take benefit from China\'s benevolent policy towards South Asia.
Recently, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid a state visit to India and Pakistan which has been viewed as a cornerstone of China\'s South Asia policy. The remarks Wen expressed during his stay in New Delhi and Islamabad are definitely indicative of the fact that Beijing attaches greater priority to South Asia in the changed international scenario. Wen began his South Asia trip from India where he interacted with people from a cross section of society including political leaders, officials, business community and cultural and civil society leaders. During his meeting and interaction in New Delhi, he gave a firm and deliberate message that Beijing is keen to enhance pragmatic relations of all kinds with India irrespective of the long-running border dispute and other issues. Economic and cultural cooperation and exchanges figured more prominently in the agenda of bilateral discussion. More importantly figured the trade issue. Beijing and New Delhi laid special focus on boosting bilateral trade setting the target of increasing trade to 100 billion US dollars by 2015. Currently, bilateral trade between China and India stands slightly over 60 billion US dollars. China\'s interest is more on economic and trade cooperation, which Beijing views as an important vehicle to reinvigorate bilateral relations that would mark a clear departure from the old hangover of conflict and suspicion. The Chinese Premier has given the message of Beijing\'s willingness to see bilateral relationship with India as they were during the \'Hindi-Chini bhai bhai\' era irrespective of some pressing issues that are yet to be settled. With India, Beijing has long-running border dispute over which these countries fought a war in 1962. China has claimed over a huge part of territory India has occupied. The entire Arunachal Pradesh is a disputable area, which China claims to be the South Tibet taken forcibly by British colonial rulers when China was weak and was engaged more in its internal problem. China wants the border with India to be redrawn based on historical evidences. The McMahon line which was drawn unilaterally as a border between China and India by British colonial power has not been acceptable to Beijing and it wants back the territories as they historically belonged to China. Despite past hostilities, China wants to bury the hatchets and begin a fresh to have friendly and cordial relationship with India. But it largely depends upon the response and reciprocity of New Delhi, which seems not to have fully understood the Beijing\'s benign motive. India does not seem to have got rid of the old hangover and it still sees Beijing as its enemy, perhaps because of its new alliance with the United States, which dubs China as its security threat. India has always adopted anti-China policy and entered into security alliance with other countries against China. During the Cold War era, when Russia was China\'s main security threat, New Delhi hastened to enter into strategic and security alliance with Moscow clearly targeting against China. Even now, India\'s policy to contain and weaken China has not ceased but intensified. The latest US-India strategic alliance is its evidence, which has irked Beijing to some extent. Despite New Delhi\'s dubious nature, Beijing is open and willing to have friendly and cooperative relationship with India. In fact, China does not see India as its security threat. This view was well and more clearly expressed by Premier Wen in New Delhi who said that \'China and India are not competitors but partners\'. Wen demonstrated similar posture in Islamabad which was viewed more positively by the government and people of Pakistan. China and Pakistan concluded some deals worth 15 billion dollars. Additionally private sectors of both the countries signed 20 million worth of business deals to be initiated jointly. During his stay in Islamabad, Wen assured that China would always be in Pakistan\'s side at the time of difficulty, which was reciprocated by Pakistani counterpart that Islamabad always valued China and its friendship, goodwill and cooperation with utmost importance. In fact, China and Pakistan are all-weather friends or friends in need. For China as well, Pakistan carries special significance and China has been providing all kinds of assistance and support Beijing can offer. At a time when India has adopted hostile policy towards both China and Pakistan, it is Beijing\'s responsibility to cooperate with Pakistan for its own security also power balance in South Asia. The support that China has been providing to Pakistan is also guided by its neighborly attitude but not intended against any other countries. Beijing\'s South Asia policy is motivated by its security and economic interests. There are, of course, some natural allies of China in South Asia. Beijing wants to further nurture the cordial and cooperative relation with South Asian neighbours to cope with newer challenges which would benefit the people of China as well as these countries. Except India, China\'s relations with all South Asian countries are excellent. However, China also does not have any ill-will even against India. But India suffers from the old hangover which has been the main stumbling block for further developing Sino-India ties and settling the remaining issues including border dispute. Beijing wants to have more cooperative and constructive relations with all South Asian countries because China shares border with five of the eight countries of the region. Beijing is pursuing the \'neighbour first\' policy on the basis of which it is vigorously pushing for friendly ties and mutual cooperation among its neighbours in South Asia, though it is not its front yard. Beijing has perfectly friendly and cordial relations with almost all countries of South Asia including Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and even Afghanistan. Since it has common border with five South Asian countries, Beijing definitely has its security interests. The 1962 war and territorial dispute with India, India-US strategic alliance, terrorism in South Asia, India-Pakistan tension and Kashmir problem are some of the issues that have raised Beijing\'s security concerns vis-a-vis South Asia. Additionally, Beijing\'s concerns are related to anti-China activities sporadically carried out by some separatist and criminal elements. Although India has adopted one-China policy under which it has accepted Tibet as a part of China, the separatist groups occasionally carry out anti-China activities which have received support from groups in India and also in Nepal. New Delhi has often instigated Tibetan separatist and criminal groups against China, which is a matter of security concern for Beijing. China has already grown as the second largest economy. It is a matter of pride for South Asian countries because our next door friend is a global power. With its economic might, China\'s clout in the international arena has also grown, which Beijing wants to utilize for the benefit of the developing countries. South Asian countries, too, can take benefit from China\'s development and prosperity. China is a bridge between South Asia and East Asia. China has already an observer status in the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), an association of eight South Asian countries. Now it would do well if China is brought to the SAARC as a full-fledged member because it is very much the part of South Asia. China\'s involvement would make SAARC more vibrant and effective with both resources, international clout. China is also interested to get involved in the South Asian regional grouping. So far SAARC has been India-centric because of various reasons including its size, population and economic strength. China\'s involvement in the SAARC would also be a countervailing factor in the SAARC. With China\'s entry into SAARC, this group would be the association of the almost half of the people in the world—biggest international body after the United Nations. It would not be justice to grant China with the status given to far away countries like Japan, South Korea and the United States. Wen Jiabao visit to South Asia\'s two largest members— India and Pakistan—is an indication that China wants to play more constructive and cooperative role in South Asia and its development. It is a good opportunity for South Asia to bring China—the world\'s economic power—into the SAARC forum as a full-fledged member. It is now up to the South Asian countries to take benefit from China\'s benevolent policy towards South Asia.
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