A more liberal Chinese line-up would not only put their suspicious neighbours at ease but also ensure China’s march towards 2020 easier and congenial to fulfill its dream to acquire a number one position in today’s slippery global corridors of power. A lot will depend on how the US goes about its task of rebuilding its economy while pursuing its futuristic business and strategic goals.
It is political business as usual! China's economic outlook apart, the questions which have of late engaged the attention of most China watchers is how it would pursue its strategic policies and postures in areas of its known interest like South-east Asia, India along with its neighbours and America's global pursuits. One cannot give straight-forward answers to these complex issues. As it is, the polity of communist China is highly complex. It has an imperial expansionist path and Maoist ambitious global vision. It is a historical fact that a strong China invariably tends to be more assertive in the neighbourhood and beyond in pursuit of its economic goals and strategic targets. This basic historic fact needs to be constantly kept in mind while dealing with China and assessing its foreign policy.
I am reminded here of Mao's famous dictum which said: "Signal Left, turn Right!" My interpretation of this dictum is: Never reveal your mind to rivals. That is to say, be guarded and deceptive while putting rivals on a wrong track.
In India we very well understand these words of Mao. These are part of Chinese characteristics which, I presume, is ingrained in the nature of leadership, Mao or no Mao. Nehru's India experienced this in 1962 after signing of the historic Panchsheel agreement between Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and premier Zhou-En-lai, then Mao's right hand man. Be that as it may we have to learn to move on and deal with China in realistic terms against the backdrop of changing global equations. Today's Chinese leaders do understand that in the changing global setting, power no longer grows out of the barrel of the gun but on the strength of economic and technological capabilities.. I have already given a fairly correct picture of Beijing's economic power, and problems. It is estimated that China's share of the global economy by 2016 will be larger than America's in purchasing price-parity terms.
Looking at the economic slowdown Beijing may not achieve number one global slot by 2016. It could well be 2020. In any case, China is pursuing a well-calculated strategy to acquire a pre-eminent economic position. Will this also give it a global geo-political pre-eminence? A number of unknown factors could be at play between now and 2020. But we need not be guided by unknown factors in making an objective assessment of China's global power. We must not overlook China's ability to be flexible and pragmatic if its leaders feel such a path to be in their long-term interest. Just look at one simple fact: a country that would conveniently sideline hardcore communist ideology and befriend once-sworn enemy America and adopt its capitalist ways and concepts to modernise its economic and technological advantages with a view to carving out a top slot in the comity of nations must be a shrewd country - a very special Pragmatic Power.
Himalayan Affairs attempt ongoing analysis on indo pak friendship, indo pakistani wars and the survey indicated in Pakistan news papers. If you want to know more about Terrorism and India, visit - Himalayanaffairs.org
It is political business as usual! China's economic outlook apart, the questions which have of late engaged the attention of most China watchers is how it would pursue its strategic policies and postures in areas of its known interest like South-east Asia, India along with its neighbours and America's global pursuits. One cannot give straight-forward answers to these complex issues. As it is, the polity of communist China is highly complex. It has an imperial expansionist path and Maoist ambitious global vision. It is a historical fact that a strong China invariably tends to be more assertive in the neighbourhood and beyond in pursuit of its economic goals and strategic targets. This basic historic fact needs to be constantly kept in mind while dealing with China and assessing its foreign policy.
I am reminded here of Mao's famous dictum which said: "Signal Left, turn Right!" My interpretation of this dictum is: Never reveal your mind to rivals. That is to say, be guarded and deceptive while putting rivals on a wrong track.
In India we very well understand these words of Mao. These are part of Chinese characteristics which, I presume, is ingrained in the nature of leadership, Mao or no Mao. Nehru's India experienced this in 1962 after signing of the historic Panchsheel agreement between Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and premier Zhou-En-lai, then Mao's right hand man. Be that as it may we have to learn to move on and deal with China in realistic terms against the backdrop of changing global equations. Today's Chinese leaders do understand that in the changing global setting, power no longer grows out of the barrel of the gun but on the strength of economic and technological capabilities.. I have already given a fairly correct picture of Beijing's economic power, and problems. It is estimated that China's share of the global economy by 2016 will be larger than America's in purchasing price-parity terms.
Looking at the economic slowdown Beijing may not achieve number one global slot by 2016. It could well be 2020. In any case, China is pursuing a well-calculated strategy to acquire a pre-eminent economic position. Will this also give it a global geo-political pre-eminence? A number of unknown factors could be at play between now and 2020. But we need not be guided by unknown factors in making an objective assessment of China's global power. We must not overlook China's ability to be flexible and pragmatic if its leaders feel such a path to be in their long-term interest. Just look at one simple fact: a country that would conveniently sideline hardcore communist ideology and befriend once-sworn enemy America and adopt its capitalist ways and concepts to modernise its economic and technological advantages with a view to carving out a top slot in the comity of nations must be a shrewd country - a very special Pragmatic Power.
Himalayan Affairs attempt ongoing analysis on indo pak friendship, indo pakistani wars and the survey indicated in Pakistan news papers. If you want to know more about Terrorism and India, visit - Himalayanaffairs.org
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