China is trying to counter US influence in the AfPak area. Pakistan now finds itself being courted by the 2 powers and it is enjoying it actually. The US will not easily let go of Pakistan. It will continue to maintain/exert influence over Pakistan through billions of bribes. If Pakistan will totally shun the US then it can easily go on full blast to destabilize the former and Pakistan knows it. So in as much as Pakistan likes to go fullk time with China it also can't.
Hehehe.. I won't call it enjoying of courting, my Malaysian friend. The US cares a rat's rear about Pakistan as a country. Right now the only thing that concerns it is that Pakistan is the highway through which NATO goods come in and out of Afghanistan. However, due to increased anti-American activities and tacit support of these activities by PA's generals (aka the real government), US is gradually moving on the Russian offer of a Central Asian route through Uzbekistan, because technically the losses via Pakistan and the regular fees and safety of NATO goods into AFG is pretty much same plus with safety guarantees from Kremlin.
Pakistan can NEVER fully shun the US in the short or medium term. They will die as a country if they do that. China nowhere provides that much open aid other than giving what is investments more than aid or loan. China has so successfully penetrated Pakistani consumer markets already that local Pakistani traders have been screaming their lungs off for this farce as their goods rot while Chinese goods successfully outsell Pakistani ones. This is just a small example.
US has donated a lot of money to Pakistan since Cold War and despite frictions continues to do so. If US suffers because of Pakistan, all the doors to IMF, WB and all other international financial institutions closes for Pakistan.
It's really a confused and tangled set up they got there in that part of the World.
Actually no one is confused. Here's how:
Pakistan as per US
- A shorter supply route to Afghanistan's war. Nothing more nothing less. If you think its an ally in WOT, then compare Pakistan's status to the real meaning of allies aka rest of NATO countries.
Pakistan as per China
- A safe supply route and an alternative passage way of Chinese commercial trade to middle east and Europe using either land route via Iran or waterways via Karachi, incase of its planned hostilities in Asia and Malacca Straits come into trouble.
- With its multiple centers of power, radical Islam and anti-Indian mentality, offers a treasure chest load full of anti-India irritants that divert our attention (for as long as Pakistan exists in the coming days) from directly dealing with China.
NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS.
India on the other hand should exert influence on Afghanistan by infusing money and materiele in coordination with the US. I can't understand what the Indian politicians are waiting for... Maybe supply LCAs to the new Afghan Air Force? Radars? Advisers? The possibilities are limitless.
THOSE my friend, are the biggest obstacles of all, and the PRIME reason for all our failures till date. No one else; not the military, not the civilian working class, not the poor people and not the untapped resources.
But I really appreciate your wonderful post here. Very thoughtful.
:thumb:
