It is a well known fact that for a country to become super power in the the international arena, it must have sufficient supplies of energy to keep its industries running and growing. And secondly it needs markets where it can sell the products of its industry which yields it such profits which can be used strengthen its military power. China imports 60 % of the oil it uses from the Middle East. This oil is transported to China through the strait of Malacca. China can surpass this long distanced route if it can carry out this business on the port of Gwadar, which will give China the shortest possible route to access Middle East through the strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan can capitalize on the aspirations of China to become a super power by maintaining a good and longstanding relation. Here it must be kept in mind that Pakistan should formulate such a policy that it should not exacerbate its ties with the US which is reigning champion of the international politics.
I like how you have mentioned that Pakistan should make the best out of its relationship with China and still make sure that it remains on cordial terms with world power, United States of America. In this way it will refrain from choosing sides in the multi-polar world for it is not what Pakistan can afford to do at the moment. Being in such a bad shape with terrorism on the rise and economic conditions worsening, Pakistan should focus on saving itself from this crisis and focus on survival as John Mearsheimer suggests
ReplyDeleteIf only it was that easy to be an ally of two opposing sides. We have already seen that over the years with Pakistan aligning its interests along with the United States rather than the Soviet Union. China has become a serious competitor to the United States and it will continue doing so. Therefore, it is very simplistic to state that there should be a policy keeping both parties happy.
ReplyDeleteOne, What you have to realize is that it is not Pakistan that dictates it's friendship with either China or US, it is the other way round. And Two, agreeing with Samay's point, What may seem like an intention to "take ourselves out of Economic Doldrums" may be a completely different picture in American Eyes. Pakistan is strategically important to both the USA and China, losing it to either would be a loss for both. It may seem easy to suggest that we don't harm our ties with the US, it would be very hard to do that in real life.
ReplyDeleteAs the saying goes, In international politics there are no friends, only interests. Pakistan should nurture closer ties with China in order to bolster its own economy and increase its latent power. However, Pakistan should not mortgage its security concerns to China - or the U.S. for that matter - since friends today can become enemies tomorrow. Hence, Pakistan should aim to increase its own power and, if we are to follow Mearsheimer's perspective, specifically its military power.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with Hassan - look how quickly Pakistan has become friends again with the U.S. in spite of the violation of sovereignty in regards to the assassination of Bin Laden, the Raymond Davis affair, and the killing of Pakistani troops at the border with Afghanistan. Pakistan really is at the mercy of both China and the U.S. and needs to develop its own power to begin to advance its own agenda.