M Ali Baloch: China is winning without fighting battle

China is winning without fighting battle

Notwithstanding the ongoing gradual surge in target killings of Chinese nationals, security apparatus of the country has already done its bit by bringing marked decrease in the recurrence of terror acts across the country

By M Ali Baloch  in Feb 11, 2018

Writer is freelance contributor. He blogs at https://malibaloch.wordpress.com/ and can be reached on twitter @M_Abaloch

https://dailytimes.com.pk/199415/china-winning-without-fighting-battle/

“America has done all the fighting and while China has done all the business”, writes renowned author Vali Nasr in his book The Dispensable Nation.

China holds fast to the spirit of pacifism. She has never been in favour of active armed confrontation in Asia or anywhere in the region. Last year, Doklam stand-off between India and China came to an end without armed confrontation.

In fact, China avoided the escalation that might have led to some active confrontation. On Taiwan issue, she has been maintaining meaningful restraint. Beijing understands belligerence a threat to jeopardise her mercantile interests in region. Be it Pakistan-India bellicosity, brewing sectarian divide between Iran and Pakistan, ongoing turmoil in Afghanistan or in Middle East China hasn’t jumped into either of the conflicts.

Beijing is trying to make her assertion pervasive through economic and business ventures. She has been avoiding armed conflict with Southeast Asian nations like Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia etc over the ownership claim of an archipelago in South China Sea. Besides, China has been avoiding confrontational pursuit of her territorial claims over Scarborough Shoal ownership of which is also claimed by Taiwan and Philippines. Scarborough Shoal is a mineral rich small ring of reefs with vibrant marine life. This controversy sometimes gets sharper in intensity due to US interference and taking sides with China’s opponents. Beijing is not oblivious to Washington’s encirclement tactics tightening the leash around her by getting closer to Vietnam, Philippines, Australia and India. Due to growing safety concerns China conceived ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI) as alternate to Straits of Malacca, a sea route China depends much for mercantile shipments. BRI is a giant project involving a number of countries including CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) as one of its major components.

Pakistan is passing through a critical phase: American antagonism, raging Indian aggression, Afghanistan’s acrimonious bouts on external front; and political polarisation, militants’ terror acts, corruption episodes, simmering social discomfort on internal front are the major issues

CPEC is originating from Gwadar deep seaport, not away from the Strait of Hormuz, a choke-point with twenty nine nautical miles width wherefrom around thirty five per cent of world’s sea-born oil shipment passes. Gwadar strategically overlooking ‘Strait of Hormuz’ is not desired by America to do as outpost of Chinese navy. Thus America finds a ‘symbiotic comfort’ with India and Afghanistan to foment unrest in Pakistan where CPEC, a constituent of BRI sits. The trio finds the unsettling situation in Balochistan, militancy menace, sectarian spectre and the foreboding political polarisation in Pakistan as vulnerabilities for being exploited to vitiate the security environment. Needs no elaboration that Pakistan bashing proxies are already there sitting in Afghanistan and elsewhere in Europe and are being exploited.

America’s grouse against Pakistan being soft on some factions of Taliban is mainly an excuse to mount pressure on her to back off China. Contrary to decreasing frequency of terror incidents there seems to be gradual increase in attacks on Chinese nationals working on different projects in Pakistan. During second week of January this year Liu Ping Zhei, a supervisor working at Karot Hydropower Project, Kahuta went missing (presumed kidnapped). A few days back 46 year-old Chen Zhu was shot dead at Clifton near Zamzama Park. He was associated with a shipping firm in Karachi. There is no reason to see these targeted attacks in isolation.

Pakistan will have to evolve some security strategy to ensure Chinese security and to neutralise hostile hands’ clandestine ingress in country. The dissidents and unhappy segments of society may be wooed to join mainstream politics strengthening federation. Notwithstanding the ongoing gradual surge in targeted attacks on Chinese nationals, security apparatus of country has already done its bit by bringing marked decrease in the recurrence of terror acts across the country though a lot is still to be done. Pacifism should be promoted and those resisting CPEC and allied projects must reciprocate the governmental reconciliation gestures. State’s law enforcement agencies can neutralise or contain the disruptive activities of the recalcitrants but cannot launch socio-economic projects to productively engage the restive mood of estranged elements.

Any rapprochement is impossible in the face of ongoing political polarisation. Presently, there is much political hubbub. Politicians are pre-occupied and badly sucked in ‘war of words’ and mutual witch-hunting. Country is already facing the ‘Trumpian wrath’ aims to economically weaken and globally isolate her. On the other hand, India has been mounting pressure and her forces are involved in un-provocative firing across the LoC and Working Boundary targeting civil populace. Unwarranted and blind firing spree of India basically aims to provoke Pakistan and drag her into active armed confrontation. Pakistan’s ‘measured reaction’ is reflective of both her patience and wise strategy to escape from getting trapped into military confrontation jeopardising CPEC: that is what India actually wants.

Pakistani leadership must concentrate on taking the stock of situation so that national integrity and sanctity of sovereignty are maintained. Situation stands complicated mainly due to China factor: huge investment of China in CPEC and other strategic projects in Pakistan offering her an opportunity to enhance her regional lustre. This is not going down well with America and India. Pakistan cannot afford severing her time-tested ties with China, ‘the all-weather friend’ at the behest of America, ‘the fair-weather friend’ that she (America) has not remained now.

Pakistan is passing through a critical phase: American antagonism, raging Indian aggression, Afghanistan’s acrimonious bouts on external front; and political polarisation, militants’ terror acts, corruption episodes, simmering social discomfort on internal front are the major issues. A ‘robust strategy’ backed with ‘national cohesion’ is the need of hour to tackle external threats and address internal irritants. While not being oblivious to any existential threat Pakistan must not allow herself to fall prey to any enemy provocation. Successful materialisation of CPEC itself is going to be Pakistan’s victory against her opponents. Sun Tzu’s advice holds good here: “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.” This is what China has been winning without fighting battles.

The writer is freelance contributor. He blogs at https://malibaloch.wordpress.com/ and can be reached on twitter @M_Abaloch

Published in Daily Times, February 11th 2018.

1 Comment

  Frank Li · Waterloo, Ontario

  Excellent article that was really insight into the essence of civilization and wisdom of China; indeed, the valuable quintessence of 5000 years' civilization of China, it was not in the length of the time, but in the continuous written record of history - the lessons of success and failure has been alerting future generations of China to avoid detours.
  Compared with civilization of China, the West was not a human civilization at all, religiously slaughtering, colonized killing and plundering. Today's government was legally designed as election of several groups of people from different parties to fight in Congress and such deadly ignorance fighting made government cannot reach the policies that are favorable to the country. Such a West civilization is not belonging to human beings at all.
  The decision of Germany establishing own NATO headquarters has sounded the knell of the disintegration of U.S.-led NATO, which was a sign of the failure of Western civilization.
  Thanks Mr. M Ali Baloch for your good writings.

巴铁媒体：这就是中国一直不战而胜的原因

http://new.qq.com/omn/20180212/20180212A033VV.html

  巴基斯坦《每日时报》2月11日文章，原题：中国不战而胜 “在美国全力打仗的时候，中国则在做生意。”知名作家瓦利·纳沙尔在《可有可无的国家》一书中写道。在笔者看来，中国坚守和平主义精神，从来不支持亚洲或者该地区的任何地方发生武装对峙。
  去年，中印洞朗对峙事件最终以没有发生武装对抗而结束。事实上，中国避免了可能导致对峙情形的局势升级。在台湾问题上也一直保持有意义的克制。北京知道交战会将其经济发展的大好形势置于危险当中。无论是印巴交战，还是阿富汗和中东地区正在发生的动荡，中国没有介入任何一场冲突。与美国军事干涉不同的是，北京正努力通过经济和企业活动使自己的主张传遍各个角落。
  在南海争端问题上，中国竭力避免与东南亚国家发生武装冲突。这些争议有时会变得更加尖锐，原因就是美国进行干涉和站在中国对手的一边。很显然，北京没有因为挑衅而失去理智，但对于华盛顿的包围战术——通过与越南、菲律宾、澳大利亚和印度走得更近来严格控制中国周边国家——也绝非不闻不问。基于国家战略安全的需要，中国把“一带一路”倡议视作马六甲海峡——中国的大部分商业运输都依赖这条航线——之外的另一个选择。“一带一路”倡议是涉及众多国家的一个大工程，其中中巴经济走廊就是重要组成部分之一。
  中巴经济走廊起自瓜达尔深水港——离要害之地霍尔木兹海峡不远。美国不想让在战略上俯瞰霍尔木兹海峡的瓜达尔港成为中国海军的前哨阵地。因此，美国和印度、阿富汗通过在巴基斯坦煽动动荡而找到了一种“共生安慰”。美国抱怨巴基斯坦对塔利班一些派别软弱主要是为其迫使巴基斯坦离开中国寻找借口。与恐怖事件发生频率下降相反的是，为巴基斯坦不同工程项目工作的中国公民遇袭事件看来呈缓慢上升趋势。没有理由认为这些有针对性的袭击事件是孤立的。因此，巴基斯坦需制定更细致的安全战略以确保中国人的安全和挫败敌对人员对这个国家和破坏中巴关系的企图。
  巴基斯坦领导人必须集中精力评估当前形势，这样才能维护国家的完整和主权的神圣不可侵犯。形势复杂主要是因为中国因素：中国对中巴经济走廊和巴基斯坦其他战略工程的巨额投资为其提供了增强其地区吸引力的机会。这与美国和印度并不合拍。巴方承担不起中断与中国久经考验的关系的代价。
  中巴经济走廊的成功实现将预示着巴基斯坦战胜其对手。孙子的忠告在这里仍然有效：战争中最伟大的胜利是“不战而屈人之兵”。这就是中国一直不战而胜的原因。
  此前，英国媒体《金融时报》也刊文称，不论中美双方达成什么样的结果，都必须认识到一个必然的事实：中国不太可能放弃“和平崛起”。这是由中国内部因素，也是关键因素所决定的。如果美国无法认清楚这一点，将很可能作出严重的战略误判。
   (作者M·阿里·俾路支，陈一译)