The back-to-back visits by Premier Wen Jiabao to India and Pakistan have underlined Beijing’s careful balancing act between two sets of bilateral relationships, both important to it for different reasons. The complex India-China engagement is powered by the rising economies of the two countries and the mutual desire to manage their global ambitions without conflict; its strong strategic ties with Pakistan have been built on a convergence of regional goals. China has been more than conscious that while it engages with India, nothing about this should make Islamabad nervous. It is thus no surprise that after Premier Wen’s New Delhi visit, during which both sides made deliberate efforts to arrest a perceptible slide in their political relationship while setting new targets for the booming trade relationship, his three-day stay in Islamabad yielded enough reassurances to Pakistan that its “all-weather friendship” with China was intact. Certainly, the ties with China are the best Pakistan enjoys with any big power. Islamabad receives financial and diplomatic support from Beijing that has no strings attached, at least publicly. Nor is it at the receiving end of public admonishments on harbouring terrorist networks. Beijing unconditionally sells military hardware to Pakistan, and is the only nuclear power prepared to assist its nuclear programme. In turn, Islamabad is reverential in the way it conducts itself with China, swallowing a crushing imbalance in trade relations and quick to respond to quiet pressure from Beijing to crack down on Pakistan-based militant networks that stir trouble in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
Entirely in keeping with all this, China and Pakistan signed several agreements in diverse fields ranging from banking and trade to space technology and agriculture. Beijing announced a $410 million post-floods aid package, in addition to the $200 million it gave earlier. While in Islamabad, Premier Wen praised the Pakistan government for its efforts to combat terrorism. He balanced this by a studious silence on the Kashmir issue, a decision that will be welcomed in India, especially in the light of recent tensions over the stapled Chinese visas to visitors from Jammu & Kashmir. Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani may have been fishing for a Chinese role in ‘facilitating dialogue’ with India on Kashmir but it is apparent that Beijing is keen to reiterate its neutrality on the issue. All in all, if there was one overarching message from Premier Wen’s swing through South Asia, it was that China would not be drawn into a zero-sum game between India and Pakistan.
Keywords: India, Pakistan, China, international relations, Wen Jiabao's visit
Comments:
While China may seem to be playing its cards very cleverly to keep the distance from the zero-sum game between India and Pakistan on Kahsmir issue, a careful observation reveals China's interests are in the ballooning bilateral trade which is hugely in favor of China - Both for India and Pakistan. While it may please casual Indian Foreign Policy Observers that China is maintaining a Studious silence on the Kasmir issue, It has certainly pleased the Political and Military establishment in Pakistan by keeping the Stapled Visa issue Alive. India did express its displeasure by not only bringing this issue at the highest levels but also it refused to to acknowledge China's sovereignty to be included in a joint statement.
In the end this visit may have achieved very little in solving old problems but did make two countries realize that the future is in bilateral trade and it is in their best interest not to dig the trenches any deeper.
Your edit too seeks to strike a balance. But, the fact of the matter is that Indian citizens from the state of Jammu and Kashmir are being stapled visas on their passports by the Chinese. The other issue is the Chinese have all of a sudden decided to hive off more than 1500 kilometers of the border that India shares with them in Jammu and Kashmir seeking to treat it as some different entity.
Pakistan's privledged position.
Your comments reveals clearly the tight rope walks of very smart chinese doing excellent bussiness,with both india and pakistan, the most " mutually hatefull/stupid enemies";Politics is for bussiness and this is really peak of the chinese diplomcy. While US still appears to play one against the other for 60+ years, chinese dont care leaving the two " pitifull " to keep barking at each other.
Chinese relation with south asia in fact is deepest; We find oldest chinese culture package in Barzahome near sri nagar in abt 2000 BC; this was independent to Indus valley-- an extension of west-asian-mesopotamian civilization. Indian culture arising as hybrid of east and west farmer's assemblage/ technologies had arisen to be " materially richest civilization; this based on farming surpluses ( india having had 2 crops/yr),had trade surpluses expotrted via most major routes now under pakistan's controll. Chinese in fact had a significant political interest in north west india . A recent example is the great king Harsh Vardhan ( 7th cent CE ) who had chinses patronage against the mutually fighting rajas of rest of india. At the murder of Harsh, Chinese were able to suppress the rebellion and had arrested the userper woo was taken to Beijing; he was hanged there.NOw that noth west area is Pakistan where chinese investment is fundamental and is likely to transform and integrate the area with the gas/oil rich central asia and china. I find india's status as isolated and out from this great game led by suave chinese via that anciant strategic real state " pakistan". FOr india the future is critically linked with Pak's friend ship and beginning must be made for friendship of heart , nothing withstanding in the way including ongoing terrorism in which india too is involved in Bauchistan and afghanistan according to Pakistani and US newspapers-- terrorism is usally state sponsored and is well known armament of all, including US, india and pakistan; Even chinese may be involved heavily in indias' maoist/naxal problems. India as a bigger power should take the initiative to move with the peace process, which should remain immune to internal politics--it being a critical national issue of future.
china is really very cautious in maintaining balance between the two nations india impotant from economic point of view (large market for its goods) and pakistan for for the regional intrests and political support
By large, China has very limited ineterest in Ind-Pak affairs. So far the engagement part is concerned, China is happy with the way, Pakistan has provided the means to enter into the South-East Asia region. As Pakistan is heavily dependent on China and very very India-prone, China is cashing on this and using this as a trump card to check India, if any concerns China has with regards to India. One mustn't forget the other card China is using - border issue with India. China understand the economic developement is the true reflection of power in the times to come, so cash on everything that pump in some business.