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Beijing's Ties with Islamabad and New Delhi
Beijing's ties with Islamabad in one hand, and with New Delhi, on the other, represent crucial elements in the climate of the region. China, while maintaining friendly relations with other smaller nations in South Asia, certainly attached significance to relations with two important neighbours -- India and Pakistan.
PAKISTAN'S Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf has just returned from a visit to China. This has been his first visit to a non-Islamic nation since taking over power in a coup on October 12, last year. Immediately after staging the coup, he visited traditional Islamic friends of Pakistan like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Later, he also visited other friendly countries like Iran and Turkey with whom Islamabad has long history of co-operation, dating back to the days of the RCD covering three countries.
Gen. Mushraraf chose China as the first country to pay an official visit, outside the Muslim world, for justifiable reasons. Beijing is a close friend of Islamabad and the two are forged in manifold co-operation.
Pakistan never lags behind in consulting China whenever it faces any crisis in matters of foreign affairs, in addition to frequent exchange of delegations at various levels. Military and civilian leaders in Pakistan have all attached great importance to country's relationship with this communist nation, despite Pakistan being an Islamic state with not so much of close ties with other communist countries, like the former Soviet Union. As such these bilateral ties are based on certain strategic purposes while two countries have also found common grounds for developing co-operative relations.
Gen. Musharraf was given warm welcome by the Chinese leaders including President Jiang Zemin and this was somewhat different from the last visit of dismissed prime minister Nawaz Sharif to China at the height of the Kargil conflict with India. Nawaz was definitely received well but the objective of his visit was not fulfilled, as Beijing was not enthusiastic in supporting the position of Islamabad in the Kargil crisis. Sharif's foreign minister Sartaj Aziz also paid a visit to China during that time before travelling to New Delhi for talks with his Indian counterpart Jaswant Singh on the Kargil issue, which was snowballing into a major crisis. Aziz could not secure the kind of assurance and support from China he was looking for on disputes with India although there was lack of warmth for the Pakistani foreign minister. It was because Beijing realised that international opinion on the crisis was largely against Pakistan since it was viewed that the "Kashmiri freedom fighters", whom India calls "terrorists", were backed by Pakistan for seizing several peaks in the Indian side of the line of control. And New Delhi also alleged that Islamabad also sent its regular troops for the purpose. Pakistan eventually succumbed to the pressure of the western powers, particularly the United States, and this was seen as a capitulation by Pakistan that was mainly responsible for the ouster of Nawaz Sharif government.
The dismissal of the elected government by the army was criticised and condemned in the democratic world in varying degrees. But in Pakistan itself, the development had evoked mixed reactions, as many quarters welcomed it because of Kargil fiasco and corruption and political repression charges against Sharif government by the opposition which most people believed although they had little love lost for the opposition.
China did not comment on the army takeover in Pakistan and said during the visit of Gen. Musharraf that two countries remained close regardless of the international and domestic changes. Obviously, Pakistan's new military ruler during his talks with Chinese leaders stressed the need for resolution of the Kashmir dispute which Islamabad says is the crux of bad and worsening ties with its traditional foe -- and neighbour -- India. Gen. Musharraf is seen, in India, as the mastermind of the Kargil intrusion. New Delhi is also refusing to sit for a dialogue with the new regime while discussions at different levels continued with Sharif's government, although little progress could be made on the main bone of contention.
Pakistan is keen for multi-party involvement in efforts for a settlement of the Kashmir problem. However China, like several other countries, also favours that the dispute to be resolved bilaterally. Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar explained that this approach of Beijing is based on UN Security Council resolution No. 1127, which inter alia asked the two countries to find an acceptable solution. Both sides said that Gen. Mushrraf's visit once again underlined the "close" ties that exist between them.
India's ties with China soured from 1962 border clash but they were friendly before Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai era. The border clash brought Beijing and Islamabad closer. China broadly came out in support of Pakistan in 1965 war with India. While the Sino-Indian border dispute remains to be resolved, two sides are seeking to normalise the ties keeping the main issue on the backburner. The present Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee paid an ice-breaking visit to China as foreign minister in 1978, and later, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi also paid a visit there. These helped set the pace in normalising the bitter ties. Beijing-New Delhi ties witnessed some ripples once again due to certain utterances by Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes early last year when he termed China as "Number One enemy of India" and accused Beijing of causing insecurity for India by military build-up around the region including naval strengths.
However, Prime Minister Vajpayee arrested this trend of downswing in the bilateral ties by allaying fears that New Delhi would continue to seek improvement in the relationship. The recent crossing of a young religious leader, to India from Tibet, caused some signs of irritation in the relationship. However, India said it can give shelter to such a person going by its tradition but it should not result in setback of the bilateral ties. China has not taken this happily. It possibly sought to draw a parallel of the case with that of the exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama in India.
China appears to strike a balance in its ties with India and Pakistan but maintaining close relations with Islamabad lest Pakistan feels that the improvement of relations with India is being done at its cost. This is why its demonstrates no lacking of the closeness with Pakistan. But at the same time it does not want to be projected as being "irrational" in its policy and as such did not come out strongly in favour of Islamabad in the Kargil crisis. But at the same time it received Gen. Musharraf with all warmth even though he is seen by India as the main person who designed the conflict. It was probably for the reason that China wants to send the signal that it steadfastly remains a true friend of Pakistan but does distinguish between issues, which Pakistan may consider "rational". For instance the Kargil intrusion. But this position, notwithstanding, China is keen to show closeness with Pakistan and hence was the goodwill shown to Gen. Musharraf despite Indian disliking for him.
Beijing's ties with Islamabad in one hand, and with New Delhi on the other represent a crucial elements in the climate of the region. China, while maintaining friendly relations with other smaller nations in South Asia, certainly attached significance to relations with two main neighbours -- India and Pakistan. It seems China is not in a mood to change its policy towards these two countries -- a position, which looks plausible for the reason a broad status quo ante is only expected, given the complexity of the political environment in the area.
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