- Joined
- Mar 8, 2011
- Messages
- 3,282
- Likes
- 316
Take a swim, wearing the 'string of pearls'
Scholars worldwide on Central Asia and Afghanistan would know that Pan Guang, Director of the Shanghai Center for International Studies and concurrently Director of SCO Studies Centre in Shanghai is an influential voice in the policy-making processes in Beijing. English-speaking Pan is a most charming personality (and a generous host), whose area of expertise used to be Israel at one time and who is ever willing to introduce his guest to the little, nameless, unknown, utterly fascinating details about Shanghai's rich Jewish heritage.
Be that as it may, Pan's latest article in China-US Focus titled "China and US in Central Asia: Role of the SCO and the Possibility of Cooperation in Central Asia" caught my attention for another reason. It shares certain stunning details about the Sino-US cogitations regarding Afghanistan. What struck me is the pedestrian level of our own discourses in India regarding China's regional role in South Asia and how archaic the views held by our mainstream pundits are.
Pan outlines a blueprint of SCO-US cooperation that simply takes the breath away. Let me quote Pan: "A convenient starting point would be the set-up of a liaison structure for coordinating the anti-terror issues between the US/NATO and the SCO. The liaison mechanism could be progressively upgraded to SCO plus US (SCO plus 1) dialogue or SCO plus US, EU (NATO), Japan (SCO plus 3), and could even be upgraded to SCO Regional Forum (SRF) like the Asian Regional Forum (ARF)."
Sounds incredible? If it is not sufficiently exciting enough, listen to Pan's bombshell that would make our pundits pull their hairs in hopeless frenzy. Pan reveals that the US and NATO are at present engaging China regarding a new transportation route for the supplies for the western troops in Afghanistan through Chinese territory. And, the hot favourite routes for the US and NATO planners? Well, the choice is probably narrowing down to one via China to Karakorum Highway and POK to Afghanistan, and a second one via the Chinese-built (and Chinese-managed?) port of Gwadar in Pakistan.
Now, not only is China going to wade deeper into POK (which, of course, belongs to India), but it will be doing that in concert with Washington and Brussels — in fact, for helping the US and NATO! The big question is what are we going to do about it. Of course, we can't do anything about it. So much for our rhetoric!
As well, the broader strategic implication is obvious — US and the West's recognition of China as a stakeholder in the stability and security of South Asia. In fact, Pan stresses this aspect as having consistently figured in the Sino-American high-level exchanges in the recent period.
Alas, our pundits seem to be left holding China's famous 'string of pearls' in splendid isolation. Uncle Sam is nowhere to be seen. Nor are the CIA analysts who sold the thesis to the Indian pundits. Maybe, it is time our pundits wear the string of pearls around their neck and go for a nice long swim in the Indian Ocean somewhere near Hambantota or Coco Islands — or better still, in South China Sea.
Take a swim, wearing the ’string of pearls’ - Indian Punchline
Scholars worldwide on Central Asia and Afghanistan would know that Pan Guang, Director of the Shanghai Center for International Studies and concurrently Director of SCO Studies Centre in Shanghai is an influential voice in the policy-making processes in Beijing. English-speaking Pan is a most charming personality (and a generous host), whose area of expertise used to be Israel at one time and who is ever willing to introduce his guest to the little, nameless, unknown, utterly fascinating details about Shanghai's rich Jewish heritage.
Be that as it may, Pan's latest article in China-US Focus titled "China and US in Central Asia: Role of the SCO and the Possibility of Cooperation in Central Asia" caught my attention for another reason. It shares certain stunning details about the Sino-US cogitations regarding Afghanistan. What struck me is the pedestrian level of our own discourses in India regarding China's regional role in South Asia and how archaic the views held by our mainstream pundits are.
Pan outlines a blueprint of SCO-US cooperation that simply takes the breath away. Let me quote Pan: "A convenient starting point would be the set-up of a liaison structure for coordinating the anti-terror issues between the US/NATO and the SCO. The liaison mechanism could be progressively upgraded to SCO plus US (SCO plus 1) dialogue or SCO plus US, EU (NATO), Japan (SCO plus 3), and could even be upgraded to SCO Regional Forum (SRF) like the Asian Regional Forum (ARF)."
Sounds incredible? If it is not sufficiently exciting enough, listen to Pan's bombshell that would make our pundits pull their hairs in hopeless frenzy. Pan reveals that the US and NATO are at present engaging China regarding a new transportation route for the supplies for the western troops in Afghanistan through Chinese territory. And, the hot favourite routes for the US and NATO planners? Well, the choice is probably narrowing down to one via China to Karakorum Highway and POK to Afghanistan, and a second one via the Chinese-built (and Chinese-managed?) port of Gwadar in Pakistan.
Now, not only is China going to wade deeper into POK (which, of course, belongs to India), but it will be doing that in concert with Washington and Brussels — in fact, for helping the US and NATO! The big question is what are we going to do about it. Of course, we can't do anything about it. So much for our rhetoric!
As well, the broader strategic implication is obvious — US and the West's recognition of China as a stakeholder in the stability and security of South Asia. In fact, Pan stresses this aspect as having consistently figured in the Sino-American high-level exchanges in the recent period.
Alas, our pundits seem to be left holding China's famous 'string of pearls' in splendid isolation. Uncle Sam is nowhere to be seen. Nor are the CIA analysts who sold the thesis to the Indian pundits. Maybe, it is time our pundits wear the string of pearls around their neck and go for a nice long swim in the Indian Ocean somewhere near Hambantota or Coco Islands — or better still, in South China Sea.
Take a swim, wearing the ’string of pearls’ - Indian Punchline