Reema Shaukat
COVID-19 has brought world on the new periphery. None of the military giants never thought that the weapons of mass destruction and modernized artilleries shall not be helpful to them in winning against enemy when it comes to war by nature. Nothing can support nor arms or armaments to defeat this biological enemy. Man created weapons for its protection and biological weapons were considered another way to harm enemy without any bloodshed in the pool of munitions. It was thought that enemy can be defeated with biological and chemical weapons but the new pandemic in the year 2020 of 21st century has totally changed the scenario worldwide. Even the countries who are monetary and military might simultaneously are unable to tackle this pandemic. As the Coronavirus Covid-19 has brought world to a standstill financially and many other terms, the foreign policy of all countries is taking curve too. We have seen how the international flight operations were closed instantly despite stranded passengers of different nationalities stuck in other countries but are unable to pursue or help though had good relations before the emergence of Covid-19. Likewise on the development of vaccine and proper medications, countries are struggling on their own end first to save their nationals and later think about international demands.
The South Asian region, because of its natural resources and geo strategic location, always carries a pivotal role for other countries around the globe. With the advancement of technology, developing economy and strategic dimensions, Pakistan and India hold a sensitive position being nuclear armed neighbours. On the other hand, China with its strategic vision and monetary muscle focused on the regional connectivity by its Belt and Road Initiative. In this duration, Pakistan-China relations further strengthened but side by side US presence in Afghanistan and later Indo-US partnership in military field and further formation of Indo-US-Israel nexus always remained a disturbing element and concerning factor for Asian states. When the news about Covid-19 started coming from China being the first badly hit country, initially USA thought that it will now be able to rule the world economically as well as militarily not realizing that this biological war will turn into pandemic and all the countries will be at bullseye to control and tackle this epidemic within their borders. China proved to the world that wars can be won without weapons and it showed to the rest of the world how to deal with this pandemic. World was considering China losing its position on economic scale by adopting the strategy of lockdown but never knew that one day they themselves will also be dealing with this viral giant by following the Chinese footsteps and cure for this pandemic.
As any kind of viral disease or epidemic knows no boundaries and targets without seeing any nationality or identity, Coronavirus cases or Covid-19 has gone viral in real terms by hitting all continents on the globe. Around 180 countries in one way or the other are dealing with this catastrophe and death toll in certain countries is much higher than recovery rates. Somehow Pakistan managed to control this pandemic with the announcement of early lockdown all over the country though still cases are coming but with less intensity as compared to havoc of deaths that has occurred in Italy, Spain and USA. USA which has always made tall claims about its friendship with India and Indian PM Modi in this regard can be seen going much high in making such pronouncements of its relationship with USA. Definitely before the Corona pandemic, both countries had good understanding but in the past few months, after Modi’s re-election as PM of India, USA President Donald Trump was not seen happier with India’s slow economic growth as compared to China and slow modernization of military equipment along with Kashmir issue, social unrest in India and Pakistan’s due pressure on international community somehow chagrined or displeased Americans about Indians. With Trump’s changing policy and more interest in transactional myopia, US political scientist Joseph S. Nye analyses that US President Donald Trump’s attacks on unfair Chinese trade and technology policies may have been justified, but his tactics have damaged the alliances and institutions on which the United States depends.
Trump’s defenders claim that his aggressive unilateral approach broke the inertia in the international trade regime and prevented other countries from diluting US power. But Trump’s transactional diplomacy is very different from the institutional vision of foreign policy that former US Secretary of State George Shultz once described as patient “gardening.” This definitely has affected India-US relationship too and ventures are not discussed on diplomatic level. Now when the Corona pandemic is hitting USA and medicine Hydroxychloroquine is found to be slightly effective in curing disease, India which is the largest producer of Hydroxychloroquine, initially banned exports of the drug on 25 March, 2020 to ensure adequate domestic demands. Later on, India further tightened rules on the medicine formulation but in a press conference US President Trump threatened retaliation if the ban was not lifted. Later within 24 hours Indian government lifted ban but it caused not only an embarrassment but an indent to much flaunted Modi-Trump friendship. Certainly post-Corona world will decide new dynamics in relations between combatant’s countries how they will dose their foreign policy.
— The writer works for Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, a think-tank based in Islamabad.
