Roundtable Discussion with Dr. Daniel Markey
Source : Pakistan-China Institute Date : 24-02-2016
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With former Ambassador Riaz Khokhar as the Chair, the Pakistan-China Institute held an edifying discussion with scholars Dr. Daniel Markey and Dr. Christopher Snedden on the ‘Role of China in a Changing Global Scenario’ on 24th February, 2016. Mr. Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director of the Pakistan-China Institute, delivered the opening remarks and introduced the esteemed panel to the attendees.
Dr. Christopher Snedden, a politico-strategic analyst, academic researcher and author of the book ‘The Untold Story of the People of Azad Kashmir’, is currently a Professor (specializing in South Asian studies) at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Dr. Snedden discussed in detail ‘Kashmir and the Pak-India Relation: The China Factor’. While openly stating his views on the Kashmir issue, Dr. Snedden shared his examination of the division of Kashmir and highlighted its significance for Pakistan as well as India. With the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor materializing, Dr. Snedden underlined that it is imperative to address the tension in the as the troops deployed in Siachin to confront India is a distraction and Kashmir also acts a vital artery for Pakistan’s water needs; therefore, tackling these issues would be a prerequisite for lasting development. “China and India, in my opinion, are dealing with this strategic complexity very well and both the countries compete, as well as cooperate on various issue; they may compete strategically and militarily, but at the same time, share a strong trade relationship,” he elaborated. In Dr. Snedden’s view, China and India should continue to engage with each other to resolve border disputes, and the occasion presents an opportune time for India and Pakistan to engage as well and work towards normalizing relations.
Dr. Daniel Markey, Adjunct Fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the book ‘No Exit from Pakistan: America’s tortured Relationship with Islamabad’ discussed the ‘Future of Sino-Pak Relations in the Evolving Regional Context’. He briefly touched on the history of China-Pakistan relations, how the bilateral relationship evolved to its current standing, and what the future entails for both the countries. “In terms of my understanding, the China-Pakistan relationship has been more geo-strategic than geo-economic until recently. Over the course of history, their relationship has been primarily based on common interest, and has worked quite well for both sides,” he narrated. Exploring the present day situation, Dr. Markey highlighted that China’s economic growth is now being translated into political leverage, in the region as well as globally. Initially the development was targeted towards the East, however with the progress on the One Belt, One Road Initiative and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China is now moving towards the western periphery. “Now we are also seeing China asserting a stronger diplomatic role that it once steered cleared of. This, in my opinion, is a real shift for China as it signals increased ambition and China’s desire to play the role of a responsible stakeholder,” he added.
Dr. Markey also underlined that the balance of power has shifted eastwards; with the prevalent situation in Afghanistan and USA’s involvement in the Middle East, there is a great room for China to play a regional role. “When it comes to Pakistan and the CPEC, there is great eagerness for the project to work, and Washington completely backs the materialization of the project,” he elaborated. “USA has also invested tremendously in Pakistan in terms of assistance programs and continues to do so till date; however, it has been unable to build a partnership with Islamabad and is now frustrated and wants to pull back. Therefore, USA now welcomes Chinese investment in Pakistan and is in interested in exploring opportunities to work in collaboration with Beijing on different issues.”
The floor was the opened for a question and answer session with the guests. Former Ambassadors, military personnel, academicians and serving diplomats took the opportunity to interact with the guests and appreciated the quality discussion that took place.
