Napoleon once said to an English official in St. Helena that “When China wakes up, the World will shake”. Sleeping Dragon as it is rightly known, China has incorrectly been understood as the one sleeping. If at all it was sleeping, it is now surely pandiculating stretching its arms from Africa to Europe. Incredible changes in its growing economy, share of global developments in technology, science, education, agriculture and unprecedented spread of influence around the world all together indicate that the beast is awake and conscious.
During the last decade, China has started and completed huge projects on an unprecedented rate in a very short period of time. It has developed huge infrastructure projects across the length and breadth of our globe. China has invested on strategically vital anchorages, transit corridors and ensuring presence of Chinese companies wherever an economic opportunity was observed. Despite its investment scattered all around the world, China it is keeping focus on Asia, being its home-continent. While United States is still in control of the region and selling weapons world over, probably due to political bindings, economic conditions and foreign policy dictations by United States, countries do not feel like trading with United States. Countries like Pakistan which previously looked towards F-16s sealed in the bone yards of Tucson in Arizona, have now happily switched towards China which is offering better and less costly alternatives. Although United States’ military competencies still dictate countries and governments in Asia, but China has also started to exercise growing economic leverage to exert its self in the region. It is doing so aggressively yet persuasively even attracting longtime American allies like Indonesia and Philippines.
Every country in the world and particularly those in Asia now trade more openly with China while United States feels its growth being outperformed. This insecurity on behalf of United States frequently manifestsin form of over issues related to Chinese companies e.g. Huawei. Belt and Road Initiative estimated between five to eight trillion US dollars has given more relevance to China. With about 152 countries sharing the stakes in BRI, several other countries, big and small, are trying to get attached with Chinese BRI opportunity. Even BRI suits Russians as Vladimir Putin sees this project perfectly aligned with the goals of Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. It seems that any resistance, for instance like that of the “The Quad” i.e. anti- Chinese alliance that includes India, Australia and United States seem not to be working at all.
China is continuously exerting its soft power. President Xi’s is now exploring India willingness and eagerness to reap benefits of CPEC. His visit to India was long due since President Xi cannot ignore not only a huge market in neighborhood but also cannot disregard the beautiful length of “Golden Quadrilateral” (Sagar Maala) perfectly aligned with the CPEC route running almost parallel on other side of fence. Even a blind can see that India has deliberately left a protruding length of this expressway stretched towards Wagah-Atari border in case Pakistan and China decide one day agree to connect CPEC length with Sagar Maala. China is also interested in Nepal and has already shared a plan to stretch a road from Nepal to Tibet. While Srilanka’s Hambatota is fully controlled by Chinese, India is virtually surrounded by Chinese BRI and CPEC presence. Iran is already on board and despite sanctions by United States China has been purchasing oil from Iran. Now China seems interested in developing Chabahar port as well to support logistic operations at Gawadar and also as alternative port.
In nutshell, China is seriously perusing its economic goals and bringing countries in region to share takes in its promising projects. China is promising a good economic future in the region
China has also marked its significant presence in Afghanistan. It has not sneaked through the narrow passage of Wakhan corridor rather it has flooded Afghanistan through its companies encouraging Chinese companies to invest in Afghanistan. To stop this Chinese onslaught, these companies were even alleged for playing a generous role in aiding the Taliban, which China strongly rejected. However, these accusations made by India could not harm Chinese presence in Afghanistan. With the passage of time China did establish that it had gained trust with Afghans particularly Talibans. Actually China had begun its contact with the Taliban shortly after the nationalist violence in its Xinjiang autonomous region surged in 1998. China saw this as a major threat and suspected the terrorist camps in Afghanistan responsible to fueling the insurgency by Uighurs. Having reached an understanding with Taliban meant that China was successful in securing its own security and economic interests. Pakistan by virtue of its strategic partnership with China and leverages over Taliban, probably played its positive role. Since Pakistan also considered extremist elements such as Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, East Turkistan Islamic Movement and ISIS a potent threat to CPEC overtures, thus it was important to mitigate the threat. On the other hand Taliban found Chinese supporting them on diplomatic fronts. At this time of the US- Taliban negotiation course, China is seen receiving Taliban delegations in Beijing and playing role of a mediator to bring both Taliban and United States on dialogue table once again. In one way, China is favoring United States since it agrees to US-Taliban deal as a decent framework for the peaceful solution of the Afghan issue.
In nutshell, China is seriously perusing its economic goals and bringing countries in region to share takes in its promising projects. China is promising a good economic future in the region. Pakistan is one of the main beneficiaries of President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative and CPEC is definitely a game changer for Pakistan. It would be wise for Pakistan to view CPEC and Chinese other economic initiatives in the region as opportunities to propel Pakistan economy. It needs to be understood that CPEC is not a threat but in order to benefit from the promising economic prospects, lot of seriousness would be required from Pakistan to harvest the benefits from this historic partnership with China.
The writer is a versatile analyst and a speaker on contemporary issues