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China looks to
strengthen S Asia ties
ALJAZEERA
Monday 04 April 2005, 6:03 Makka Time, 3:03 GMT
China will seek to bolster its influence in South
Asia during a four-nation tour by Prime Minister Wen
Jiabao, amid worries in Beijing about a changing
geopolitical climate as the United States looks to
boost New Delhi as a major power.
In his first South Asian foray since becoming prime
minister, Wen will visit Pakistan from Tuesday to
Thursday, then spend one day in Bangladesh and another
day in Sri Lanka, before heading to India on 9 April
for four days.
The visit underlines China's growing recognition of
South Asia as a key area in its foreign policy
initiatives, especially as Washington emphasises
strengthening ties with New Delhi, analysts said.
"China seems continually worried about being contained
by the United States," said Brad Glosserman, director
of research for the Hawaii-based research group
Pacific Forum CSIS.
"China is concerned and they're working to develop
positive relations with these countries. They assume
at some point there will be some competition between
China and the US for pre-eminence in the region."
Rival neighbours
India had been sidelined by Beijing, which
traditionally placed greater importance on relations
with India's rival, Pakistan.
But with the cozy military partnership between
Washington and Islamabad since the 11 September 2001
attacks, China is taking a new look at its priorities.
This comes as US Ambassador to India David Mulford
wrote in an editorial last week that it is the United
States' policy to help India become a major world
power in the 21st century, something China is likely
to see as an attempt by Washington to contain
Beijing's rising power, analysts said.
"China's relations with India and Pakistan have
shifted significantly in recent years," said Wu
Guoguang, a China specialist at the University of
Victoria's Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives.
"In the past China always stood firmly on Pakistan's
side when there are conflicts between Pakistan and
India. In recent years, they are more balanced. ...
They are considering the new geopolitical situation."
Border dispute
China and India have gone to war over border disputes,
but relations improved dramatically after a visit to
China in 2003 by then-prime minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee during which India acknowledged Tibet as a
part of China and China gave up its territorial claim
over the tiny Indian state of Sikkim.
Improving ties with India is likely to help Beijing
maintain its traditional influence over Pakistan, a
country it needs onside to fight separatism from
Muslims in its northwest Xinjiang region, analysts
said.
"China needs to have good relations with a major
neighboring Muslim country like Pakistan in order to
deal with its domestic Muslim problem," said Wen Fude,
director of Sichuan University's South Asia Research
Institute.
In Pakistan, Wen's focus will be on maintaining
cooperation in fighting separatism.
Chinese vice foreign minister Wu Dawei said on Friday
that China and Pakistan's partnership on
anti-terrorism - a term Beijing uses to refer to
separatism - has been "very effective" and that
Beijing was "satisfied" with Islamabad's help.
"I believe the two sides should work closely with each
other to maintain regional peace, stability and
security," Wu said.
Oil movement
China also is looking to Pakistan as a transit route
for oil from the Persian Gulf region.
In return for Islamabad's assistance, China has been a
major weapons supplier for Pakistan, which also
receives economic assistance from Beijing, such as
loans and expertise in building infrastructure,
including highways.
Economic initiatives will feature in Wen's tour.
While China and India are economic competitors, both
have put aside their remaining border disputes to
focus on increasing trade and improving ties.
"China feels that as long as economic cooperation is
increasing, many problems can be resolved," Wu said.
India's ambassador to China Nalin Surie told the
Xinhua news agency the two countries were "rediscovering
each other" and that the visit would "mark a new phase"
in bilateral relations.
A free trade area was being proposed between the two
countries. If achieved, it will be the largest free
trade area in the world in terms of market size.
A series of agreements on politics, trade, technology
and education are expected to be signed during Wen's
four-nation tour.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C4465319-6807-47F4-82BC-CB4932EFE49C.htm
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