ISLAMABAD: India should be included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) if its true promise is to be realised, said a leading Pakistani daily which, however, warned that the military establishment is reluctant to view India through any lens other than one of rivalry.
An editorial in the Dawn on Saturday said that recent visit by the president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Jin Liqun raised issues for the government.
"The new challenge was his emphasis on including India in the CPEC vision, thus opening up the doors of the corridor towards the growing economy to the east. Previously, too, Chinese President Xi Jinping had mentioned this in his speech before parliament when he visited Pakistan. The idea should not be dismissed."
The daily said: "If the true promise of the corridor is to be realised, it will be necessary to include Pakistan's neighbours - both east and west - in it. Of course, there are significant hurdles to this."
It added that in Pakistan, "the military establishment is reluctant to viewing India through any lens other than one of rivalry, and in India a right-wing government is similarly averse to responding to any overtures for talks and advancement of peace".
The daily said that for now "it is enough to note that the proposal to open access to the economic corridor for India has credible commitment at the highest levels in China, and if there is any party in the world that can encourage a change in thinking in this country at least, it is the government in Beijing".
The editorial went on to say that it would be better for the government of Pakistan to draw up a more realistic list of projects that they would like to see funded through the AIIB, and use the early years of the bank to build a relationship rather than go for broke with a proposal for a mega dam.
"There is no shortage of infrastructure requirements in Pakistan, and realism shouldn't be very hard to pitch," it added.
Spice Route: Modi’s vision to boost Indian trade
Opinions Author:
Niti Guest - April 2, 2014
3
Nearly 4000 miles away from each other, two subtle developments are taking place in the world which will change the course of modern-day trade.
New Silk Road
First, on March 29, the Chinese premier made a quick visit to Duisburg in Germany, the last stop on the 5000 mile ‘Yuxinou’ rail line. The objective of this railway line is to bring the inland China and Central Europe on the global trade map. The railway line will be used to export car parts and electronic items from China to Europe and steel & automobile from Europe to China.
Time for India to become globally competitive
This railway link will connect important towns of China to Inland Europe through Central Asia, which are all far away via sea routes and were at disadvantage in the new world where most of the trade happens through the sea routes. After Europeans explored sea lanes in 14th century, Silk Road had lost its value and charm. Getting to China and India was cheaper via sea as one could bypass difficult terrain of Central Asia, which was out of dominion of Europeans.
Spice Route
Second development is the biggest dance of democracy on the planet where more than 800 million will vote to choose their next Government. Right wing BJP led by Narendra Modi is expected to form the next Government in May 2014. Modi is seen as a man of development and reforms in India, in sharp contrast to the current Congress Government which is marred with allegations of corruptions and policy paralysis.
Modi makes case for trade-driven economy
However, all diplomatic circles around the world will be keenly watching Narendra Modi’s take on India’s foreign policy, which many believe will be more muscular than previous Indian Governments. If we go by the signals we are getting from the BJP’s Asoka Road office, the next decade will see India reviving Indian part of
Spice Road connecting it to Europe via Central Asia.
Under the previous BJP Government, India had taken initiatives towards building ambitious infrastructure connecting India with neighboring countries. India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway was one such project started in 2002.
Some senior leaders who are also involved in preparation of the manifesto for the BJP for election 2014, have confided that foreign policy of the next BJP Government will be based on economic values and trading ties. Creating robust infrastructure with East Asia and Central Asia is the need of the hour and will not only revive the industrial & merchant towns in the Indian hinterland but will give a strong boost to India’s economy. In the first millennia, cities such as Delhi, Jalandhar, Lahore, Peshawar and Kandahar flourished as they were on a trade route between India and Europe.
India-EU ties will jumpstart economy
However, wait a minute!
A closed look at the map reveals that a road or rail link to Central Asia is not possible because India does not share common border and any such link will have to pass through Pakistan, with which India has fought 3 wars. The amount of distrust with Pakistan can be understood from the fact that India in 2009 pulled out of Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, which could have saved India billions of dollars in expensive gas imports from other countries.
Solution to Kashmir Problem
Some leaders in the BJP are upbeat about the global ambitions of Narendra Modi and are kicked up about infrastructure projects which they say will match China’s might. Modi has close relations with Japan and its Prime Minister Shinjo Abe, another Asian country which has invested heavily in Indian infrastructure projects and will be eager to fund its new found friend’s global ambitions.
Rajnath rakes up rights violation issue in Gilgit-Baltistan
Even if money was not to be a problem, for any link to Central Asia would require geopolitical and geographic re-alignment in South Asia. That would definitely be a dangerous situation, even though India and Pakistan have fought a limited war in Kashmir in 1999 shortly after acquiring Nuclear weapons. A similar limited war between the two neighbors cannot be ruled out. With Pakistan turning into a Jelly State, which is on the brink of political and economic failure, India will have the advantage and will strike on the right time to get what it says is integral part of the country.
Pakistan occupied Kashmir, when aligned to India, will open endless possibilities for Indians, Afghans, Turks and Kazaks.
What we need to wait and watch is, whether the sleeping elephant will wake up and challenge the dragon. If it does, we can say with certainty that next century belongs to Asia.
(Map of South Asia: Lines in Orange, Blue and Brown indicate new trade routes.)
Spice Route: Modi’s vision to boost Indian trade
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