China’s Growing Interest in
Gilgit-Baltistan
July 16, One must greatly admire China for making optimal use of
geography to promote her economic and strategic interests. Instead of
conquering lands, China
decided to befriend her South Asian neighbors and this interdependence
resulting from economic and security partnerships, is often claimed as a
diplomatic victory. The situation allows China to obtain the natural
resources required to sustain its economic and industrial growth, and extend
her sphere of influence to deny the potential adversaries strategic depth in
the region. In short, China
has achieved with friendship what the USSR
failed to do by force and gained comfortable access to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Today many of the South Asian neighbors
have become a point of reference and transit route for China to enhance her influence in the Middle
East, the Persian Gulf and Africa.
However, China’s
present relationship with South Asian neighbors is entirely different compared
to when the communists initially took control of the country. For instance, the
intrusion into Tibet and
Gilgit-Baltistan; border skirmishes with Pakistan;
suspension of diplomatic relations with Nepal;
land disputes with Bhutan
and India; and the refusal
to recognize Bangladesh
and blocking its bid for UN membership were some of the incidents reflecting on
the volatile political situation of that era. It was after the Sino-India War
and the subsequent Indo-Soviet agreement that China
accepted Pakistan’s
offer to establish the strategic partnership.
Following the ancient
Chinese proverb, “To Get Rich, One Must Build Roads,” the communist regime has
since focused on improving road connectivity with the southern neighbors.
Recent agreements between China
and Pakistan during the
visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Beijing
on July 4 reflect China’s
growing interest in Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan. China will spend approximately US
$18 billion to construct tunnels through the mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan
which will enhance her strategic and economic capability and quick access to
Pakistani and Iranian ports.
The developments have
helped enhance regional trade as well as giving China access to mineral wealth in
those countries. Today, many of these countries are seeking China’s human,
financial, and technological assistance in developing ports, naval bases,
military and nuclear installations, civilian industrial development,
hydropower, and information and telecom facilities.
Despite the lingering
border dispute, Indo-China trade has surpassed the seventy billion dollar mark.
This shows that China didn’t
choose to keep her people hostage to border disputes and adopted liberal trade
relations with her rivals; an economic model that Pakistan
and India
could also replicate to help eradicate poverty in their own countries. China’s
development projects have provided benefits to hundreds of thousands of people However,
such ventures also lead to human rights violations in the host countries and
complicate the life of the indigenous and minority people in the affected
regions by undermining their decision-making right over resource management and
revenue sharing. The indigenous communities expect both Chinese and their host
governments to review the policies that adversely impact their ethnic and
religious demography, sustainable livelihoods and weaken the centuries-old
connection with their land and resources.
China’s development model
has left a longer lasting mark on the indigenous cultural identities. Dam
building and resource extraction has hurt the ecosystem and climate, which
should remain under scrutiny of international rights and environmental
organizations. Showing more respect to human rights, challenging the culture of
impunity and enhancing accountability can help attain a balance in
developmental goals, protecting indigenous rights and mitigating environmental
concerns.
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