By Ghous Bux Khan Mahar*
“Let China sleep, when she wakes up, will shake the world”, once said Napoleon. If we take a look at contemporary China, the Napoleonic prediction has turned out to be a tangible reality as China has woken up from its long slumber and has emerged as an economic powerhouse of the world.
The awakening of dragon has triggered tectonic shift in global geo-political and economic order, marking the beginning of the era of a multipolar world order. The remarkable economic rise of China has transformed it into the second largest economy in the world. Its economy is poised to position itself as the largest economy by around 2030, dislodging the US from its current economic supremacy. What is important to note is that China has an illustrious past as well. It is the world’s oldest surviving civilization with many innovations and inventions to its credit. For instance, paper, the compass and gunpowder are among the greatest Chinese inventions and contributions to the human civilization.
Back in 1980, I happened to visit China. In sharp contrast to the China of today, I found my host country no markedly different from any typical third world country. Poverty and underdevelopment was palpably visible there. Even its capital Beijing was not that modern unlike any western capital. The city was devoid of world class infrastructure and basic features of any modern city. There were single or two-floor old buildings, no cobweb of modern roads or avenues and no skyscrapers at all. On the basis of my profound observation, I can say with confidence that Karachi and Islamabad were ahead of Beijing in terms of modern infrastructure and amenities at that time. The Great Wall of China, the most iconic tourist destination of the country, was also deprived of much facilities. It was still a poor country with a fragile economy and fractured international relations.
Recently, I visited China in 2013. To my amazement, it was not the same country I had visited in 1980. I was immensely amazed to find it transformed beyond any recognition as China had built itself anew. This time around, I was welcomed by a new China born out of dazzling economic development. I found myself in a rich and
modern China with booming economy growing at double digit figure. Beijing was diametrically different from what I saw back in 1980s. The capital of the nation, was lively with modern and sophisticated infrastructure comparable to any western capital. There were gleaming high-rises, state of art road and rail network and world-class luxury hotels to welcome millions of visitors every year. Shanghai, the commercial capital was even more dazzling and true reflection of the exceptional progress and prosperity made by China over last few decades. The city’s skyline was dotted with eye-catching skyscrapers and other marvellous landmarks like bridges, highways, amusement parks, shopping malls, high-speed train terminals and so on. It was pulsating with modern life. Moreover, the financial capital of China, stood as the monumental testimony and tribute to the Chines nation’s dynamism, energy, hard work, vision, commitment, determination and dedication to the socio-economic development of the country. Furthermore, the country was breaking new grounds from space exploration to development of stealth technology.
Undoubtedly, the rapid and remarkable rise of China can be characterised as an economic miracle which has baffled both her friends and foes alike. During my last visit, I was naturally awe-struck by the overall advancement of the country whose giant leap from being a third world country to the emergence as a great nation on the global horizon, gave birth to a logical question in my mind.
What is the secret behind the enviable economic success of China? As I moved around, explored and observed the different dimension of the country, the riddle of China’s unmatched economic achievement began to unravel itself answering the question resonating in my mind. Thus, I was led to the cogent conclusion that in addition to the mobilisation of man and material resources, it is the competent and sincere leadership, the national spirit of hard work, honesty of purpose, national cohesion and consensus, unflinching commitment, unwavering dedication and steel-strong determination that is the real moving spirit or driving force behind the economic revolution that has transformed China into an engine of global economy.
The 21st Century is being called as the Asian century symbolized by the breath-taking and meteoric rise of China as a global power. The centre of economic and political gravity has significantly shifted from The West to the East. The phenomenal economic advent of China has provided the nation with unprecedented confidence and capabilities to proactively secure and safeguard its geo-strategic and economic interests around the globe. The subsequent growth in her global clout, rapid build-up of offensive and defensive capabilities and increasingly assertive foreign policy posture in the Asia Pacific and beyond, has sowed immense and unprecedented fear in the American strategic community that view China as the main challenger and strongest threat to the American global supremacy.
In the strategic response to counter and contain China in its track, US has shifted its geo-strategic focus away from Europe and Middle East to Asia-Pacific region, what has come to be called as US Asia-pivot characterized by the relocation of US naval power to Asia-Pacific region, revitalization of the existing alliances and cultivating the new ones to put up a formidable security alliance against China. Like any rising power, China also aspires to carve what China calls the rightful place in the world matching its great power status and progress. These China’s aspirations and American apprehensions and the consequent geo-strategic, military and economic rivalry are going to be the very shapers of the 21st century.
As far Pakistan, the advent of China as a world power is a welcome development as the new global power is not only our next-door neighbour but also our all-weather friend and strategic security partner. We need to learn a result-oriented lesson from China’s inspiring and impressive economic success in order to put our country on the path to progress and prosperity.
Pakistan continues to languish under the siege of socio-economic and political problems. The country’s economy is in freefall, poverty is pervasive and illiteracy is rampant across the country. Pakistan is geo-strategically located at the confluence of central Asia, South Asia and Middle East. Thus the country has potential to emerge as the trade and energy corridor for China bordering Pakistan through its Xinjiang province that will stand to benefit from the Gwadar deep sea port. China has been building the Gwadar port as vital link of the maritime silk route. The fully functional silk route is likely to usher in an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for the underdeveloped regions of both countries, like Baluchistan, northern areas of Pakistan and Xinjiang region of China.
However, what remains to be seen is how skilfully and wisely the new power (China) and the established power (America) accommodate each other taking full advantage of opportunities of convergence by dexterously dodging the areas of divergence. Arguably, the benefits of economic cooperation, integration and interdependence are greater than those of geo-strategic and military rivalry or adventurism that pose an existential threat to the entire humanity in this age of nuclear weapons.
*The writer is a former Federal Minster and currently an MNA from Sindh, Pakistan
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