Dr Muhammad Khan
During his meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, on October 9, 2019, President Xi Jinping announced a new ingenuity between two traditional friends. He said that, “China is ready to work with Pakistan to forge a closer China-Pakistan ‘community of shared future’ in the new era”. The concept of ‘community of shared future’ was an innovation of the former Chinese President, Mr Hu Jintao and has been endorsed and advanced by the current Chinese regime under President Xi Jinping. This is a great vision of Chinese leadership of all-encompassing rather a few, on the path of an optimistic and harmonious Pak-China relationship.
Pakistan and China have already completed 70 years of harmonious relationship, ever since both commenced this journey soon after People’s Republic of China came into being in October 1949. There are very solid foundations of this harmonious Pak-China relationship, focusing on all aspects; political, economic and strategic. Based on this strong and ever green relationship President Xi Jinping stated during his meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan that, the friendship between Pakistan and China is “unbreakable and rock solid”.
This highly farsighted and well-conceived concept of China-Pakistan ‘community of shared future’ in the most challenging time has lot of prospects in the bilateral relationship of both countries. An insight analysis of this concept would reveal that, the last seven decades of Pakistan-China relations were centred on formal and official linkages between Islamabad and Beijing. With the advent of a new era where globalization has become the order of the day, this formal state to state relationship must take the people on board. Indeed, the people to people relationship has been a grey area in the last 70 years of Pak-China all weather friendship. Development of Gwadar Port by Chinese companies and later initiation of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2015 could bridge the gap needed since long and brought the people of both countries together. However, it still fall short of what it has been indicated by President Xi Jinping. In real terms, this is a new framework of China, for the promotion of international relations and improvement of global governance. Since Chinese model of good governance and international relations has been a success story, therefore extension of this model to Pakistan for forging a closer China-Pakistan ‘community of shared future’ is most desired under the changing geopolitical environment.
Indeed, there is dire need that, harmonious relationship between Pakistan and China must spread over to the communities, the societies and the wider academic circles of both friendly states. In order to accrue the real benefits of these relationship Pak-China communities with common interests and societies with harmonious future will have to collaborate, cooperate and progress together in the new era. Prime Minister Imran Khan while fully endorsing the concept, wished for a long-term Pak-China friendship in all areas under the concept of shared future. On the Kashmir dispute, Prime Minister Imran Khan thoroughly briefed President Xi Jinping and thanked the Chinese principled stance, supporting the Pakistani concern, emerged after a unilateral Indian decision of ending the special status of Indian occupied Kashmir. Pakistan considers that Indian unilateral act of revoking Article 370 was unconstitutional, immoral, violations of UN resolutions and politically motivated to deprive the people of Jammu and Kashmir of their legal right of self-determination. China endorsed all Pakistani concerns, since it too has its reservations over the Indian decision of annexing the occupied parts of Kashmir into Indian Union, illegally.
As clear from the joint statement, China is paying a close attention to the situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir is an issue of common concern both for Pakistan and China. Therefore, Beijing considers “that the Kashmir issue is a dispute left from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.” China has strictly opposed the unilateral Indian act like Pakistan. Indeed, both countries underlined that “a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous South Asia was in common interest of all parties. Parties need to settle disputes and issues in the region through dialogue on the basis of equality and mutual respect.”
While Prime Minister was meeting the political leadership of China, the Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa had parallel meetings with senior Commander of People’s Liberation Army (PLA). General Bajwa had meeting with top brass of the Chinese military. Gen Bajwa discussed the contemporary situation in IOK; arise after India imposed curfew and siege of the occupied territory. Like political leadership, the military leadership was equally concerned about the situation in IOK. During the visit of General Bajwa, more military collaborations and cooperation between armed forces of two countries was agreed in keeping in view the changing geopolitical situation at regional and global level. General Bajwa also participated in the meeting held between Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Xi Jinping. Indeed, his participation in this top level political leadership meeting has been viewed in Delhi with lot of concerns, since Chinese President undertook a two-day visit of India, thereafter.
Presence of top level Pakistani political and military leadership at Beijing was a clear message that, irrespective of regional and global opposition, Pakistan will never compromise on the gigantic project of CPEC and its auxiliary projects, already underway. Besides, both friendly countries have common standing over the Jammu and Kashmir and are seriously concerned over the current state of affairs in IOK. The visit was a reiteration that, China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. “No matter how the international and regional situation changes, the friendship between China and Pakistan has always been unbreakable and rock-solid, and China-Pakistan cooperation has always maintained strong vitality.” Indeed, it is a new era of Pak-China friendship, forging a closer China-Pakistan ‘community of shared future’.
— The writer, a retired Brig, is Professor of Politics and International Relations at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
