As concept of security widened in post cold war politics in different
dimensions, its essence of traditional view could not change even in
21st century. Every state of the world shapes conventional notion of
security complying with its own regional environment and requirements.
In Far East and South Asian regions, emergence of China has determined
security issues. Every participant of the region re-securitizes its
strategic policies by itself or by being ally of the USA. Sino-oriented
securitization paradigm has become a pivotal part of international
strategic studies because the USA perceives threats from it to its
geopolitical and strategic interests in the region.
The geopolitical-cum-economic strategic significance of region is
very momentous; as according to Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) of
the UN about 3.1 billion people out of the world’s total 6.4 billion
reside over here; presence of important international maritime transport
route; nuclear proliferation in the form of de jure Indian, Pakistani,
North Korean nuclear programs and having capacity to make nuclear devise
within three to six months by Japan, emergence of marvelous economic
integration in ASEAN under strong Sino-oriented order, existential
presence of world’s 4 major economic hubs (China, India, Japan, ASEAN,
and to some extent South Korea) in this area make it more important,
hence the volatile security situations of the region.
In Far East, there is confrontation between China and USA. As it is
being stated by strategic analysts and experts, Afghan war can be a
cause of the USA’s supremacy in world politics. Therefore, she is
tackling with China with two basic foreign policy
instruments—encirclement and management—over Far East theatre. The sole
superpower wants her hegemony in the region and has strong allies in the
form of Japan, South Korea (SK) and Taiwan to support her ambitions.
Starting from Taiwan issue, China considers it as an integral part with
mainland China.
Interference of the USA in Taiwan affairs either by logistical
support, financial aid or diplomatic support, all steps are disturbing
existing security equilibrium in the region. China is trying to balance
them via pacifying aggressive aspirations of Taiwanese people in
economic terms. China is investing billions of dollars in economic
development of Taiwanese but the USA provokes them against China’s
intent of direct occupation over Taiwan. Besides China has opened
another option of military action if any attempt is made either by
Taiwan back to the USA support or by the USA along with its regional
partners. That is why having direct threat to its solidarity and
integrity, China is hastily equipping herself militarily with modern and
sophisticated technology via rapid economic growth. The next hot issue
is North Korean nuclear program. There are two views among
intelligentsia, one says that China is supporting NK to stand in
alarming situation against America and other opines that NK is doing by
herself to make sure her survival against USA-assisted South Korean
attack.
Holistically, China has tried to solve out the problem during
chain of Six Party Talks among NK and the USA, but the latter is
reluctant to settle nuclear conflict and fulfill its past promises to
the former party.
Contrarily, the USA is encircling China to contain her militarily
might in the region. On one side, she has made lilipads (establishment
of military bases, concept given by Rumsfeld) in South Korea and Okinawa
in Japan. Deployment of the USA troops and NATO in Afghanistan and
American military bases are also clear indication of encirclement
policy. American intervention is obviously clear on Pakistani soil
across Afghanistan. On the other hand, she has been signing military
alliances with (SK, Japan, Magnolia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam,
and Singapore) or nuclear agreements (Indo-USA civil nuclear deal) since
2005 to its partner to maintain its leverage in Asian politics as well
as in global one. As China is adopting active economic diplomacy as a
counterstrategy to weaken the USA physical presence in Asia, she is
expanding economic ties with all states individually and organizations
collectively.
The Far Eastern region politics has now extended up to South Asia.
Pakistan and India have got very strategic importance in the enmity of
two lions over Asian theatre as whole. Strategic dialogues have been
going on between the USA-Pakistan on one side and America is
simultaneously underpinning its ties with India to stand a proxy
competitor against China in the region on other side. As the western
world including USA blame Pakistan on the issue of horizontal nuclear
proliferation by A. Q. Khan network to North Korea, India is
capitalizing from all happenings to denounce Pakistan as an ‘epicenter
of Terrorism’ in the world. In this regard, Pakistan’s
geopolitical-cum-economic strategic position on the world map demands to
cash the golden status. It should decide to be a ‘strong strategic’
ally of China rather than America. Its policymakers must have to adopt
bi-dimensional policy regarding China for long term interests: economic
and diplomatic ones. In the first case, Pakistan can be a diplomatic
initiator of abolishing differences over the North Korean nuclear
program issue and Taiwan between China and America (an effort did in
Nixon period to come close to each other), simultaneously can agree both
on developing positive image of Pakistan worldwide rather a failed
state or terrorist state claimed by the west. Economically, Pakistan can
expand its eco-orbit to Japan and AESAN. Moreover, ending ties with USA
is quite impossible however dependency can be lessened gradually.
The blame of ‘nuclear geography’ expansion (either in Iran case or
North Korean case) is being put on Pakistan. Moreover, India did
continuously struggle hard to denounce Pakistan as a terrorist state by
USA during Obama’s visit to Asia and after critical scenario of Osama
bin Laden’s capture from Pakistan’s city ‘Abbottabad’. But China isn’t
in favor of this stance of whole western community or India. Far Eastern
politics have immediate influence over South Asian politics. USA and
China might be either balancer or someone else, can disturb existential
equilibrium by overshadowing strategic interests of other. Therefore,
both would use their own players?Pakistan and India or both or any of
them?on proper time in this chess game over Asian floor to go ahead
while winning power play. That is why Pakistan and India would have to
preserve their interests by themselves. India is well performing her
duty; however, Pakistan is not unfortunately. This is a
thought-provoking sign for our politicians and establishment…..!
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