Asanga Abeygoonasekera
The recent visit to Pakistan by Chinese President Xi Jing Ping secured $46b for development of power and infrastructure sector. This sizeable Chinese foreign investment will help Pakistan’s economy significantly. The elevation from “iron friends” to an all weather strategic partnership relationship between the two nations was significant. After signing more than 50 cooperation deals between the two countries promises to raise the bilateral trade from $16b to $20b over three years was planned.
The proposed development plan of China Pakistan Economic corridor where the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road meet is significant. It will affect the entire south Asian region. According Xi “We need to form a ‘1+4’ cooperation structure with the CPEC at the center and the Gwadar Port, transport infrastructure, energy and industrial cooperation being the four key areas to achieve a win-win result and common development,” This statement reflects the deep interest and commitment of China to support nations such as Pakistan. Similar initiatives launched in other South Asian nations such as Sri Lanka’s Hambanthota port will contribute immensely to regional economic and trade enhancement and intensification .
China, a giant neighbour to South Asia will work closely and strengthen its relationship with South Asia over the next decade. Pakistan and China who assisted Sri Lanka to defeat the terrorist LTTE could work together on further improving and contributing toward international counter terrorism efforts and enhancing counter terrorism capacity building in the region.
The large scale flow of Chinese assistance to developing nations in South Asia and Africa will be a great relief to these nations who battle to improve the economic conditions.
President Xi’s next stop was Indonesia, participating in the 60th Anniversary of the Bandung Conference. Bandung was the first panAsia- Africa conference in which Sri Lanka and many countries freshly out of British colonialism played a significant role. This landmark conference took place in 1955 and created a new era in South-South international relations. The conference represented one-quarter of the Earth’s land surface and a total population of 1.5 billion people.
Today again ( just as the spirit of Bandung) it is important to strengthen Afro -Asian South-South connections with the existing geo strategic landscape .The US pivot to Asia and China’s One road one belt strategy are existing global indicators to this necessary shift from Western dependence to global internationalism . Both existing powers and emerging powers have shown their deep interest in Afro-Asia economic development. It is important to collaborate and strengthen Afro-Asian security threats specially in the struggle against local and global terrorism. In Asia, two dozen groups support IS. Over 1000 recruits from Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, Australia and New Zealand have traveled to Syria and Iraq. The al Qaeda centric threat landscape is eclipsed by an al Qaeda-IS hybrid global threat. Today, al Qaeda and IS compete for supremacy of the terrorist movement. The recent massacre in Kenya is a humanitarian disgrace and we should look at multinational, multi-pronged, multi-agency, and a multi-jurisdictional framework to fight upstream counter radicalization and downstream de-radicalization. At Bandung its important to look at the present geo security situation which has threaten the entire world.
China with its one road one belt strategy will definitely assist many countries in Asia and Africa. China with its large investments to developing nations in Asia and Africa has contributed immensely for the economic development and has improved millions of lives. You could see this in Sri Lanka and how the nation has benefited immensely from Chinese investments on infrastructure including the first high way, ports etc. China was a friend at the time when the nation was battling with terrorism.
At Bandung in 1955 China played an important role in the conference and strengthened its relations with other Afro-Asian nations. Chinese premier Zhou Enlai held a very positive attitude and support to strengthen Afro Asian relations. Zhou stated he had come to seek unity and not to quarrel, to seek common ground and not to create divergence, he invited the participants to visit China saying: “It is better to see for oneself rather than to hear many times.” The 18 minute speech won acclaim at that time.
Unlike in the past defending its position to secure communism in the present day China’s new role is reawakening the sleeping giant the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) which will benefit many nations and global trade. President Xi wished to strengthen this cooperation as good friends and brothers. This is a very important remark at a time both Asia and Africa is facing many challenges to improve the economic environment in many nations including Sri Lanka. This will definitely assist south south cooperation as mentioned by President Xi.
The developed world has an important role to strengthen this cooperation and could assist to narrow the South North gap between the developed and developing nations without seeing it as a threat. Sri Lanka as one of the initial members of Bandung with Sir John Kotelawala‘s presence at the conference during the time we came out of the colonial rule was the initial step for the non aligned summit held in Sri Lanka. Today we live in interesting time where China is reviving the ancient MSR the one road one belt strategy and United States pivot to Asia, Sri Lanka should look at playing a positive sum game with the existing and the emerging powers.
Dr.Goebells / April 24, 2015
China’s foray into fledgling economies has also helped some individuals to benefit substantially by being involved in joint development projects .
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Saame gigurawa / April 24, 2015
22China Gambles on Its Own ‘Keystone Pipeline’22
China and its new bank will invest about $34 billion in energy projects and provide roughly $12 billion in loans for infrastructure projects to be built along the corridor over the next 15 years, according to reports. This would be a huge break for Pakistan’s struggling economy and would overshadow the $7.5 billion that the U.S. pledged over the past five years to help develop and stabilize the region.
But there’s the one glaring problem with China’s investment strategy: The corridor would run right through one of the world’s most dangerous and unstable regions.
until the insurgency is contained in the region, the project “will remain a dream.”
Security appeared to be very much on the minds of Xi and Pakistan’s prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who said in a speech that “Pakistan considers China’s security as its own security.” Moreover, the Pakistani military reportedly assured Xi that it would create a special security division to protect Chinese nationals working on the development projects in Pakistan. This is a matter of no small concern to Beijing. In 2004, three Chinese engineers who were assisting in building the Gwadar port were shot to death by suspected insurgents.
It may have simply been a coincidence, but the Pakistani government chose the day of Xi’s visit to carry out the executions of at least 17 prisoners who had been convicted of rape, murder and other serious crimes.
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Many countries set up traps to steal wealthy people from China. Even the rich govt. officials are moving their assets oversea. Soon China will have no millionaires left. Meantime, the super US Congressional and Govt. heroes in Washington DC will soon pass world laws that it is illegal for China to have millionaires. These US officials are brave to protect wealthy Chinese from harming themselves (sort of like the humanitarian b-oombing in Libya by NATO so that dead Libyans could not harm themselves anymore).
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Non PhD / April 24, 2015
1955 China and post cold war China are entirely different or rather 2 extremes. There was a period in Sri Lanka the different political parties canvassing against Indian expansionism and Chinese expansionism. I don’t know what or any expansionism the writer Asanga see in the horizon.
The rise of JVP in the South and the rise of LTTE and other groups in the NE were mainly due to the inability of the ruling parties ( coalition or single ) and the parties in opposition ( in coalition groups or in singles ) to solve the socio- economic and political issues faced by the young. All the GOSL since 1948 did not put the country first before the power of their parties.
Both JVP and LTTE were crushed by the GOSL at that periods, only with the help of other countries.
During the world war 2 Hitler’s Germany and Japan were ruthless. Hitler went on genocide and so was Japan in different style or using different methods in East Asia.
However, the Post WW 2 resulted in the creation of many international institutions including banks.
The UN was the important one. Sadly only the 5 permanent members had the veto powers.
Post war resulted in British empire replaced by British Common wealth and other institutions controlled mainly by the Permanent members and the West.
European colonialism started with maritime trade. So if China wants to genuinely contribute to the world peace and prosperity it should together with other countries must strengthen the existing international or world institutions or organisations and not creating new ones. If there is no checks and balances many of the Asian and African countries will go under a powerful new Empire.
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Comese / April 24, 2015
China is cautiously enjoying the war games of the two Europeans ;USA & Russia.
No one is certain where the Crimea rouble crash would take the world.
If the 2 Europeans join like the Iraq war Putin approves because Russia is starving then China stays exposed.
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Saame gigurawa / April 24, 2015
$$Zhou To Xi Carrying Forward The Bandung Spirit$$
◕No man will ever carry out of the Presidency the reputation which carried him into it.- Thomas Jefferson
, ◕All small nations failed “playing the superpowers against each other”
, ◕PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE AND AN OSSIE COREA TYPE 1A GOON>
, ◕Gaddafi was the richest in the world with $200 billion in solid gold and the Europeans could not have it I suppose so.
, ◕It was Henry Kissinger the Jew who alone was responsible to force Indira to withdraw and Russia gave a nod because it did not want to fight USA on another issue- similar to Nasser moving out with Russian nod and accepting Israeli – both 8 day wars.
, ◕Today’s Failure: In 1950, the first President of Indonesia – Sukarno called upon the peoples of Indonesia and India to “intensify the cordial relations” that had existed between the two countries “for more than 1000 years” before they had been “disrupted” by colonial powers.[5]Yet in the spring of 1966, the foreign ministers of both countries began speaking again of an era of friendly relations.[
, ◕Today’s Failure Tito is Dead: BUILDING SOVEREIGNTY, PREVENTING HEGEMONY :
The Challenges for Emerging Forces in the Globalised World
International and Multidisciplinary Conference in the framework of a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the 1955 Bandung Asian-African Conference, Indonesia, October 26-31, 2015
, ◕ Roosevelt’s Ambassador to the USSR Averell Harriman cabled Roosevelt that “we must come clearly to realize that the Soviet program is the establishment of totalitarianism, ending personal liberty and democracy as we know it.”[243] Two days later, Roosevelt began to admit that his view of Stalin had been excessively optimistic and that “Averell is right.”[243]
◕Nasser cut relations with the US following the war, and, according to Aburish, his policy of “playing the superpowers against each other” ended.[238] In November, Nasser accepted UN Resolution 242, which called for Israel’s withdrawal from territories acquired in the war.
, ◕All small nations failed “playing the superpowers against each other”
Ossies Boru potha. Sinhala Buddhist insanity.
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D .Nimal / April 25, 2015
Saamage gigruwa..the commenter by his political analysis and its anomalies of international order which that end of 2nd world war was totally incorrect; that is base on an isolated incidents by in the favor of US headed hegemony ,but not as whole story and result of reality at that real time of evolutionary process of world order.
I quite agreed with Hendry Kissinger -World Order said “…In imperial system , wars generally took place at the frontiers of the empire or as civil wars. Peace was identified with the REACH OF IMPERIAL POWER…”
Great leader of Soviet Union and founder of Soviet Socialist Republic State, Lenin said Imperialist states”…pay lip service to PEACE and JUSTICE, but in fact wage annexationist and predatory WAR…”
The success of Lenin, that Stalin real founder and carry socialist vision of USSR said Imperialist regime states”….have only one aim in resorting to pacifism: to dupe the masses with high sounding phrases about PEACE in order to prepare for a NEW WAR…”(Stalin works FLPH Moscow,1953 Vol. VI page 297)
Stalin further expressed his views clearly said ” Many thinks that imperialist pacifism is an instrument of peace. That is absolutely wrong. Imperialism pacifism is an instrument for Preparation of war and for disguising this preparation by hypocritical talk of peace. Without this pacifism and its instrument ,the League of Nation ,preparation for war in the conditions of today would be impossible..” (Ibid vol. XI p.209)
The Imperialist WARS for the re-division of the world.
In Kissinger has reveal of new facts ” first direct military confrontation between the wartime allies occurred over access route to capital of erstwhile enemy, Berlin….
In 1948 Stalin response and analyzed ‘objective’ factors is that conversation in 1989 Andrei Gromyko.. I raised a question of how ,in light of vast causalities and devastation it had suffer in war, the Soviet Union could have deal with an America military response to the Berlin blockade.?…..
Stalin had answered similar questions from subordinates to this effect: he doubted the UNITED STATE would use nuclear weapons on so local an issue.If the Western allies undertook a conventional ground force probe along the access routes to Berlin, Soviet forces were ordered to resist without referring the decision to Stalin. If US forces were mobilizing along the entire front Stalin said “Come to me”. World Order page 281 by Kissinger.
How Kissinger look at problems of imperialism and superpower hegemonies that act on led in world domination by USA?
The commenter reading of Post War Era of Global politics in different outlook, that not represented the vested interest of de-colonization of Asia, Africa and Latin American countries, nations and people.
Leader of founder of PRC Mao Zedong said all politically important facts in history will apply to nationally and internationally.
” In a revolutionary period the situation changes very rapidly ,if the knowledge of revolutionaries does not change rapidly in accordance with changed situation, they will be unable to lead the revolution to victory.”
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