When I met Afghan president Dr. Najibullah in April 1989, he was nervous; no one knew the quandary Kabul was in better than him. I remember Dr. Najib saying Pakistan and China had a role in stabilizing his country. Neither came to his aid.
How things have changed!
Many American and European analysts disapprove of the perceived fact that China is getting a free ride in Afghanistan; China does not contribute combat troops, but has won the bid for developing the Aynak copper mine in Afghanistan’s Logar province. It is one of the world’s largest copper deposits, and China stands to benefit a great deal from the project when the mine is up and running. When President Barack Obama visits China next month he is expected to discuss the Afghanistan issue with his counterpart and negotiate rules of engagement with Beijing.
Chinese “developmental diplomacy” is not unique to Afghanistan. A cursory review of how China interacts with African countries demonstrates that Beijing is willing to participate in the region’s reconstruction and even contribute to the peace building efforts of the UN, but refuses to partake in warfare.
Western analyses and pleas with China to get involved in the Afghan quagmire have two common themes: First, China is benefitting from a $3.5 billion contract without the price of committing combat troops, and secondly, China has immense influence on Pakistan and it can coerce Pakistan to “do more.” Both of these arguments are problematic to say the least.
China’s relatively small border with Afghanistan (they are joined along a sliver of 46 miles of mountainous land) was once part of the Silk Road route. The British and Russians drew the Wakhan Corridor on a map at the end of the 19th century to be a buffer zone between British India to the south and Russian Turkestan to the north. Once again, this narrow Wakhan Corridor has the potential to become a pathway of commerce between China and Central Asia and beyond.
With this historical perspective, China’s recent bidding victory does not seem suspicious. This $3.5 Billion investment is the largest foreign direct investment in Afghanistan’s history. I am told that additional Chinese investments are underway. Western analysts agree that these investments have the potential to spark Afghanistan’s economy, but argue the Chinese are piggy-backing on International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF) stabilization effort. The frequently-posed question remains: If China is genuinely interested in Afghanistan’s stability, why the reluctance to contribute combat troops?
Over last few years, China has emerged as the world’s main exporter to Afghanistan. Chinese companies ZTE and Huawei deployed a telecommunications network providing over 200,000 phone and high speed internet lines to Afghanistan. China also led the irrigation project in Parwar province, as well as the reconstruction of the public hospitals in Kabul and Kandahar.
Reports from Beijing indicate that there are plans to build an electrical plant worth about $500 million, in addition to the deployment of tracks for a railway from Tajikistan to Pakistan.
Once fully operational, Aynak mines will employ nearly 10,000 Afghans and pay $400 million in annual royalties to the Afghan government, which is 50% of Afghanistan’s current yearly budget.
Chinese think tanks are now more vociferous than ever in calling for American troops’ withdrawal and the establishment of a national reconciliation program that will bring the Taliban into the fold of mainstream politics. In addition, China wants an international peacekeeping mission after the U.S. withdrawal. They argue that with the aid of international peacekeepers, Afghanistan’s government and its security forces will be able to exercise effective control over domestic unrest and maintain peace and security. China can potentially provide “boots” for a peacekeeping mission.
China seems ready to play a concrete role in Afghanistan now and it will most likely maneuver to seize a substantial portion of Afghanistan’s natural resources, and they are likely to be successful. Afghanistan has large energy and mineral resources and a potential route to the global market, but in my opinion this is not enough for risk-adverse China to fully engage. China’s sudden desire to involve herself with Afghanistan reflects recognition of the geographic importance of her neighbor; China does not want the U.S. to play in her backyard for too long.
China vehemently opposed the Soviet Union’s presence in Afghanistan but Beijing has been more tactful in opposing the U.S. presence. China’s ruling elite understood that Afghanistan would turn into a sticky situation, and they wanted time to take its course. It seems “time” is just around the corner.
I have this nagging question in the back of my head: Will China, the emerging superpower, face the same outcome as other empires that have crossed path in Afghanistan? Will the skeletons and memories of the Chinese be added to those already left behind in the barren mountains of Afghanistan?
Ibrahim Sajid Malick is a Pakistani-American writer, technologist, and social entrepreneur. He has been writing on Pakistani society and politics since 1986. He has held several media, communications, and technology positions for organizations large and small. Mr. Malick graduated from New School for Social Research with a master’s degree in anthropology. He holds several technology and management certifications. He works for a leading technology firm and blogs at www.ibrahimsajidmalick.com
Very informative piece. I am very impressed with you Ibrahim. You can write on very difficult subjects without and not sound emotional.
China is a peaceful country, why should she contribute combat force to destroy other country? It is not China’s policy! China will be able to rebuild & develop Afghanistan in short time if the US & Nato will leave Afghanistan quickly. See how China has developed herself in last 20-30 years time? The US & Nato should compensate all damages they hv done to Afghanisatn and Afghans, pay Afghans blood money same value as they claim from Libya, not just a few bucks for a precious life.
@yb ho: I totally agree with with you YB HO, you are absolutely right.
agreeing with ho. china can save afghanistani
How naive of u(those who replied to the article) people to say that china can save afghanistan.. and that china can work if US/UN/NATO leave afghanistan completely.. Looks like u don’t have any idea what so ever about the country called AFGHANISTAN. China has gone there now because it feels secure, why didnt it go there when Osama & Taliban were ruling afghanistan? China knows exactly how to MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES.
n ya.. Mr yb ho, CHINA IS A PEACEFUL COUNTRY! Yeah RIGHT!
max- yeah china is peaceful. tell me where china attacking? examples give me please of china domination?
As someone has rightly said “china knows how to make hay when sun shines” China is obviously playing a pleasing game to both US and Afghans and the motive is clear, secure energy assets for its future. And there is nothing wrong with that coz even US and all other countries do the same. But China is shrewd. Even China likes to fuel a rivalry between India and Pakistan(China has always sold arms to Pakistan and helped build military infrastructure.)And I am not blaming Pakistan at all, but China is surely playing a big game with its neighbors to claim superiority in Asia.
Though I appreciate the idea of not sending troops to Afghanistan, but what is alarming is that China is a fair weather friend. The day Afghanistan or even Pakistan comes to a deep trouble (God forbid that), China will be first to pack up. Though it will later come for help, it will ask a “price” for that help. And the price now Afghanistan is paying is its “energy” and the same is going on in Africa in the name of reconstruction.
It may seem harmless acts at first but hold serious implication in not-so-distant future for its so-called-friends and world in general.
Good Job Ibrahim this for the 1st time I agree with your thoughts. Keep on writing this type of informative subjects
China is using Afghanistan and it is exploiting Pakistan.
Those who said China is a fair weather friend and will be the first to pack up when Afghanistan or Pakistan will be in trouble are talking nonsense. China is Pakistan’s all weather friend. Ask any Pakistani if in any crisis China has packed up from Pakistan? China is helping other nations in a way that there is mutual benefits for both sides, not like other selfish superpowers that only exploiting poor nations’ resources, building military bases, raping their girls & women. What China is doing in Africa, no other superpowers could ever do, China is helping the Africans to develop not to exploit them, not to invade them, not to kill them, not to occupy them!
One more line, friends, China does not interfere other country’s internal policy. China’s dealings with all countries are based on fair & mutual interests. This planet is for every body, every body has the right to live & grow. Live peacefully, help each other, don’t bully.
i am a pakistani n v pakistanis do not consider china a fair weather friends. we appreciate and acknowledge strategic ties with china
naeema saeed- I am a Pakistani too and I can tell you with guarentee that we have no friend better than China. Who stood with us in 1965 and 1971? Who helped us on Kashmir resolution at the UN? Who helped us after 1999 nuclear test? Who supported us when the whole world was calling us terrorist state?
Long live Pakistan-China friendship..
China has not been involved in military expeditions abroad after Vietnam and Korea. I do not see China sending army in Afghanistan in the near furure. China has shown less concern for human rights violation by the governments where they do business. By that precedence I could say China may not mind working with a Taliban government in Afghanistan until situation allows for business. Pakistan should have a diverse foreign policy that stresses on good relations with China and India instead of getting caught in rivalry of the two powers. US is still the only super-power and until they are defeated in Afghanistan and leave, China-India may not get into a war over regional rivalry.
i m a pakistani and i want to tell you that China is the most sincere & true friend of Pakistan.we pakistanis love China..
Its 100% true that China does not interfere other country’s internal policy. China’s dealings with all countries are based on fair & mutual interests.
Long live Pakistan-China friendship..
Pak-Cheeen dosti zindabad
US and India are not sincere to any country in th world.
yes China may be a true friend of Pakistan, or thats what my Pakistani friends may think. Its true. But try digging for reasons and one will find that its only because of India. China has always wanted monopoly over Asia and has always used Pakistan as a way to dominate India.Someone mentioned 1971 and 1965. What happened then? Bangladesh war and Indo-China war – one can wasily sense what was the motive- to counter India !
Yes and I do agree that US also doing the same. Us is feeding both India and Pakistan with arms and is fuelling competition, but it has a greater interest – tackling China.
All nations are playing big games out there. Its hightime we India and my Pakistani friends realize that if we come together other nations like China and US will stop fuelling rivalry among us.
While I respect China very much, and I am in for good Indo-Pak-China relation, but all these takes a backseat when dirty politics comes in between. Afganistan may be a different case, but when one looks deeper its always seems China is aggressively following its national security policy.
I dont think anybody has objection in a country’s national security but not in the expense of other country’s sovereignty and dignity! We must learn not to demonize another person/country nor stab on other’s back. One should contribute whatever one can for a prosperous & harmonious global village, its just a small small world, friends!
The US & Nato are in Afghanistan for 8-9 years already, how many innocents, mostly unarmed women & children & aged, have they already murdered, and how many more are going to die for them? How much destructions have been already done by them? How many die hard ‘Taliban’ have been bred by them? So far what good have they contributed to the Afghans & Afghanistan? It is a big waste of life & resources! This is an injustice war & unnecessary war, its a clear invasion & occupation!
War cannot be won if you cannot win the hearts of the people!
yes that’s what I am also trying to say dear H> let leave alone countries like afganistan. We must provide them the help they need to build infrastructure and then let them use their own energy and we must not exploit them. Let our govt come out with alternate energy options other than digging oil in other states.
This world is so small, yes, so we must learn to live in cooperation and peace. We have bigger problems to deal with like global warming, hunger and God-knows what is coming!
What British did centuries ago and US did decades ago, let we not repeat this. Let us find a peaceful way to secure our interests. We are the growing nations and there is huge responsibility on us. Let us show our future generation an example by acting correctly now. Otherwise who knows some years from now the coming generation of afghas and africans will say we did imperialism !
Hope you got my point
Indian friend, i hope everybody who have commented here agree with your point. What is your suggestions of actions that we small people can do together to bring peace, stability & harmony for ourselves and our future generations? We should not just sit & wait for luck to knock our doors, or just write a few comments on blogs, we should act sooner better than later.
We cannot expect politicians to save us as well, politics is all about money & power, not humanity!
China has a communist country with nefarious motives. I can’t for the life of me understand how Indians and Pakistanis can be fooled by Chinese communists. US has so much to offer to India and Pakistani. We are all democractice countries and trying to protect and presever competition, fair market, and enterprenuership.
Don’t be fooled by China.
@Malik Rashid:
I agree with you completely. China has no regard for human rights internally or outside. They are just out there to make buck. No morals, no values and no ethics. I know we would normaly expect that from “capitalist pigs” but communists who are out to get your money are worst “capitalist PISS”
Thanks for giving us this perpective.
@yb ho: tell me what action do you have in mind? what should we do? i am willing to take part but do not know what to do.
There is enough hostility and violence in the world, we dont need more of these! First & utmost thing is not to demonize peoples other than yours. What did communist China do which has harmed you people? Please elaborate!
Dont play the cards of democracy and human rights, we have seen enough in the last few centuries. Many western powers went all the way to China to rob, to kill & to exploit China’s resources, they colonize different parts of China & forced China into unfair treaties. At last China has fought them all & closed the doors for decades. The last such power to leave Chinese land was Portugal in 1998 and UK in 1997. Go to UK museum to see for yourself how many precious Chinese valuables bad been robbed from China. You make fake dossiers to scare your people to support you to invade another country and to kill hundreds & thousands of innocent people, destroy all infrastructures, arrest thousands & thousands of innocent young & old, male & female, then torture them by all possible illegal ways, not giving them any access to judicial system nor their families, lock them up for years. You deny & isolate the democratically elected governments not of your choice, you collectively punish those people who voted for the governments not of your choice. You support & supply money & all types of latest ammunition to Israel which is murdering & torturing the people of the land that they are occupying. You veto all condemnations & rules against Israel. You go against all international laws. You force muslim women to take off their head cover which is part of their dress code and muslim men to shave their beard which is the identity of muslim men. You support the tyrannic leaders in other countries to strength your controls & exploitation over them. You are the only country that has thrown nuclear bombs, 2 nuclear bombs killing countless innocents and till date we still see the side effect on the people there. …… this list can be very looooong. Pls study the world from outside of your well! BTW, it’s Nixon who has gone to invite China to open her door to the world to be exploited once again. But this time, China has a very educated force that help build the economy & development of China and other countries as well. Friends, be fair & talk fact! This is the least you can contribute to make a better world for us & our future generations.
@Frank J: I would love to agree with your words but my friend US has just done damage & destruction in this region and nothing else…All US has got to offer to India & Pakistan is expensive & sophisticated arms further endangering the region, Dollars in return for helping US materialise on its nefarious aims and even this Afghan Talibanisation is also a US brain child which has destabilised the region and hit Pakistanis the hardest.We have almost 60yrs of friendship with US but there is not a single American project in Pakistan that we can boast of but during these years the so called communist China has helped us in various national projects from Karachi till the Silk Route eg. Chashma power projects, jointly made fighter jet JF-17 Thunder, Heavy industries Taxila, Makran Coastal highway connecting Gwadar with Karachi, development of infrastructure in northern areas, the Karakoram Highway (one of the manmade wonders) and so on..Even our brief period of healthy relations with the communist USSR gave us a precious gift of Pakistan Steel Mills but US is the biggest user abuser in the world!!
I dont hv any proper plan yet, but if everybody starts thinking and participate in this project, we can develop some actionable plans in near future. Let’s first set aside any hostility, come out from the little well that we locked up ourselves, open up our sight & mind, embrace humility and humanity. Only then we can started doing something good together. Any objection and suggestion?
@indian: ya
china is peace loving country..it wants peace n balance in south asia …so it is helping its neighbours with good heart…so being a nepali i like china…long live nepal-china relationships…of course china can reconstruct afganistan…
I am so proud of you people recognizing China’s contributions! I am so proud of my country & my people! Friends out there in the US, please look inward how your ancestors went all the way from UK, how many Red Indians have your ancestors killed, raped, and how many Africans had been kidnapped to help explore that land of wild? Its only in recent 20 years the blacks are given fairer chance & treatments. Have you reflected why so many blacks cried when your President Obama won the election? We all must learn from history & not to repeat all those stupid mistakes! We are all descendants of Adam & Eve, why dont we live peacefully & happily helping each other for a better future? Life is very short and there is no tick two. We dont know whether we can live the next minute, so do beautiful things as long as we are here in this temporary life.
@yb ho
agreeed
The whole south Asian region and specially the smaller under developed countries love China and that is because China’s actions speak louder than its words..Other mighty powers must learn from China because mass hatred in smaller countries is not in the long term interests of the Mights!! Mights have the ability so they have the responsibility to make this world more liveable!
China uses its own neighbors and making allies to make his own way towards the new world order leadership
China is a bully and does not respect it’s neigbhors. China out of Tibet!
Human rights violations in China remain systematic and widespread. The Chinese government continues to suppress dissenting opinions and maintains political control over the legal system, resulting in an arbitrary and sometimes abusive judicial regime. The lack of accountability of the government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) means that abuses by officials often go unchecked. This fact sheet identifies the most common types of abuses, including arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment of prisoners, severe restrictions on freedom of expression and association and violations specific to women.
“I have this nagging question in the back of my head: Will China, the emerging superpower, face the same outcome as other empires that have crossed path in Afghanistan? … ”
Its like what Mullah Omar said few months ago … that all invaders have been defeated including Alexander the great … its a myth, like all kinda myths we fed in madrassahs to “create” Jihadis … that produce we are reaping today.
Alexander last war in this direction was at the bank of river Jhelum, defeating the mainly Rajput Army of Raja Porus … and finally giving back the area to Raja Porus, impressed by his upright behavior …. and then turning back.
Similarly, British left the Area, as the consequence of WWI and WWII … plus the new labor party Govt in UK that was not in support of colonialism as a policy.
The best the Afghans may have done in those times … would be looting the supply convoys, firing from the mountain tops etc etc. The tribal loyalties have never let Afghans into one big and potent fighting force.
if china is a peaceful country, why does it call an indian state (arunachal pradesh) its own? i dont want 2 bask on preconceived notions..i hope china has good intentions.. which certainly many people inhabiting this earth are not convinced about… mr yb ho.. you didnt want to demonize any country/region..then why are you demonizing the united states? i am not a big fan of the US.. but i could not help notice you contradict yourself..and so far as being proud of your country is concerned..we really dont want to know that.. because that is nothing extraordinary,EVERY GUY IS PROUD OF HIS OWN..China waged war with india just to gain control over a MILITARY ROAD through a high altitude desert of salt..and thats all your country owns in Kashmir..DESERT..at least people inhabit POK..what business you got there?u dont like the US huh??ask your own countrymen if they prefer a life in the US or one at China..FYI,China is worst hit by braindrain, about 70% of students leaving your country never return.Mr yb ho, may be we need more reason to be proud of your country..i have nothing against the chinese, i like them like any other race on earth..just that YOU CANT APPEAR SHINY LIKE SNOWWHITE WITH SO MANY SKELETONS IN YOUR CLOSET.. GET REAL DUDE…there is no free lunch in this world.. AND I DONT EXPECT ONE FROM CHINA..if any country does.. best of luck to its future.
@ Sohail:
Art of co-existence, win-win for all parties, isn’t this better or to invade & occupy is better?
@ Mehta:
Pls don’t parrot the wrongful accusations of the biased media & politicians. Tibet is part of China. China’s sovereignty on Tibet for over 700 years. Millions of files in both Chinese and Tibetan recording historical facts over more than seven centuries are being kept in the archives of Beijing, Nanjing and Lhasa.
In the summer of 1942, the Tibetan local government, with the support of the British representative, announced the establishment of a “foreign affairs bureau,” and openly carried out “Tibetan independence” activities. These actions were made public and condemned unanimously by the Chinese people. The national government also issued a stern warning. Under this pressure, the Tibetan local government had no choice but to withdraw its decision and reported the change to the national government.
In 1949, America announced in a US newspaper: ” The United States is ready to recognize Tibet as an independent and free country.”
In 1950, a load of American weaponry was shipped into Tibet through Calcutta in order to help resist the China army entry into Tibet.
Form there on, America has been continuously backing the independent movement of Tibet all along. A movie “Seven Years in Tibet” produced by U.S. fooled the American with distorted historical facts. Funding was poured into foundations in U.S. to continue the anti-Chinese activities.
For the sake of stability, unity & security of the country, some measures are required to contain any unforeseen incidents. Human rights violations in China is not as serious as the biased media propagated. Whenever any officials were found guilty in the court of law, they were punished severely, many got death penalty. Chinese people in general are happy with the Chinese Communist Party for the stability and propriety they are enjoying.
@Azis:
China is not invader, so she wont face the fate as Britain, Russia, US & NATO faced. Time will show the contribution of China in Afghanistan.
@Karan:
Do you know the McMahon Line and Simla Accord (1913)? Arunachal Pradesh is a disputed area since then. On Oct. 29, 2008, David Miliband, the British foreign secretary, announced that the previous British actions including the Simla Accord (1913) and thus the McMahon Line had been an anachronism and a colonial legacy. He apologized to China for not having renounced those actions earlier. He was supported by Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, who called the British position embodied in the Simla Accord (1913) a “quaint eccentricity”. China has gone to Indian war bcos of India’s aggressiveness. Various border conflicts and “military incidents” between India and China flared up throughout the summer and autumn of 1962. Every country has the right to protect its territory integrity. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_War to read further, you can find whole lot of facts that you might not like to know about what the US & Britain were upto in this part of planet. I hv not demonized any country. Read history to clear your mind of misconception. It is the double standard, imperialistic, exploitative & invasive US foreign policy that I and many other people don’t like. Yeah, some people wud like to migrate to other parts of the world, including US, but don’t worry about braindrain, we have a lot of better brains in China. Please have some tolerance!
A typing mistake: Chinese people in general are happy with the Chinese Communist Party for the stability and PROSPERITY they are enjoying.
yb Ho, you seem to be very misguided.
So as long as our Communist Party governement continues to completely destroy all internal political opposition we will not be free.
>many got death penalty. < That is not freedom.
I can only life in hope that one day all Chinese will be free.
Hope that one day we can help bring peace to the world.