u***r
发帖数: 4825 | 1 http://www.economist.com/node/18682839
May 12th 2011 | BEIJING AND ISLAMABAD | from the print edition
PAKISTAN’S ambassador to Beijing, Masood Kahn, was this week fully armed
with metaphors to describe the robust friendship between the two countries.
“We say it is higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans, stronger
than steel, dearer than eyesight, sweeter than honey, and so on.”
The relationship is indeed a geopolitical keystone for both countries.
Pakistan serves as China’s closest friend both in South Asia and among
Islamic countries. So close, indeed, that many suspect China has asked
Pakistan for the valuable remains of the American stealth helicopter
abandoned during the bin Laden raid. Meanwhile, China can help
counterbalance Pakistan’s arch-rival, India, including in Afghanistan.
Pakistan seems keen to foster the impression that new tensions with America
might nudge it even closer towards China. In his blustery speech to
parliament on May 9th Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani struck out on an odd
tangent to praise China as an “all-weather friend”, providing Pakistan
with strength and inspiration. Not to be outdone, President Asif Zardari
issued an effusive statement of his own about a friendship “not matched by
any other relationship between two sovereign countries”.
But if Islamabad is worried about falling out with Washington and hopes to
get more out of Beijing, it may be in for disappointment. According to Zhu
Feng of Peking University, such calculations based on “the traditional
mentality of power politics” are misplaced. China’s robust, longstanding
ties with Pakistan stand on their own merits, he says, and owe nothing to
America’s standing in Pakistan. Both China and America want a stable
Pakistan.
For all that, China’s dealings with Pakistan have always been conducted
with one eye on India. Last year Beijing chose to supply Pakistan with two
new civilian nuclear reactors, even though the deal appeared to violate
Chinese non-proliferation commitments. It was a boon not only for Pakistan’
s energy-starved economy. It was, as Mr Zhu points out, also a way for China
to counterbalance a controversial nuclear deal reached earlier between
America and India.
China and Pakistan have a lustily growing trade relationship, worth almost $
9 billion last year. China provides military gear, including fighter jets
and frigates. Some Chinese infrastructure projects in Pakistan have
strategic implications. They include ports on the Arabian Sea and a proposed
rail project which has yet to be approved, but which would arouse
controversy, and Indian ire, by running through contested territory in
Kashmir.
Still, China’s commitment to Pakistan has its limits. After devastating
floods last year, America gave Pakistan $690m, 28% of all international aid.
China’s contribution was a mere $18m. According to Andrew Small of the
German Marshall Fund, an American policy institute, Pakistan may be “
talking up the ‘China option’ beyond where the Chinese are willing to go.
” China, he reckons, will be reluctant to tilt too far towards what might
look like an anti-India alliance”. Despite border disagreements, China
wants to keep its relations with India in reasonable order.
What is more, Pakistan’s chronic instability and its failure, whether by
design or incompetence, to suppress extremism make Pakistan as hard a
partner for China to trust as for America. “Sweeter than honey” may be
plenty sweet enough. | s********i
发帖数: 17328 | 2 能先把标题写对吗？economist不是Economics | b*****e
发帖数: 5476 | 3 吃醋了，美帝杀本拉登没通知巴基斯坦让该国上上下下非常不满，正好最近是中巴两国
建交60周年和中国援助的核电站发电，这几天巴基斯坦天天赞美中巴关系 | t******t
发帖数: 15246 | |
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