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| Lavetra cashmerina |
The killing of bin Laden, however, has
made many people question the legality of the US' unilateral action in
Pakistan, Pakistani "support networks" for the Al-Qaida leader, and
future US-Pakistani partnership in the fight against terrorism.
While discussing the reported row
between the US and Pakistan, some US media outlets have unnecessarily
dragged China into the debate. They have even speculated about China's
reaction to bin Laden's death.
Quoting Ministry of Foreign Affairs
spokeswoman Jiang Yu's statement, one US newspaper said that China
initially welcomed bin Laden's death as a positive development but later
went "out of its way to praise Islamabad for its anti-terrorist
stance". The report concluded that the tension between the US and
Pakistan had offered "Beijing a chance to wean its oldest regional ally
off its dependence on US security assistance".
To begin
with, Jiang's defense of Pakistan has nothing to do with Washington's
doubts over Islamabad's commitment in the hunt for bin Laden. Jiang's
affirmative reply to a question about whether Beijing believed
Islamabad's claim that it didn't have prior knowledge of the US
operation shows China's consistent stance on Pakistan. And that should
not be interpreted as China's attempt to dissuade Pakistan from
supporting the US in its war on terrorism.
Indeed, China and Pakistan have enjoyed
an "all-weather" friendship for six decades, and the death of bin Laden
will not change that. China is aware of the dangers of extremism and
Talibanization spreading across Pakistan, but it appreciates Pakistan's
determination to combat terrorists and militants and recognizes the
sacrifice Islamabad has made in the war on terrorism.
Sino-Pakistani friendship reflects
China's "good neighborhood" policy. It's this policy that has
strengthened China's ties with all its neighbors, including countries in
South Asia.
As a country facing terrorist threats
itself, China has worked and coordinated with the US, which is leading
the war on terrorism. Since 2001, Beijing and Washington have cooperated
in anti-terrorism activities, even though they have somewhat different
views on the concept of "terrorism" and the approach that the
anti-terrorist strategy should take.
The US lays more emphasis on military
raids and strategic operations, whereas China prefers economic development, which Chinese people believe is the only way terrorism can
be eradicated from the roots. But China and the US both want a stable
and moderate Pakistan.
In the post-bin Laden era,
Sino-Pakistani cooperation in the fight against terrorism will continue.
Washington, on its part, is likely to continue its cooperation with
Islamabad, because terrorism has not died with bin Laden and the US
still needs Pakistan's logistical and military support in its campaign
against Al-Qaida and Taliban.
US Senator John Kerry was in Islamabad a
couple of days ago to try to restore the "damaged" US-Pakistani
relations. And US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit
Islamabad soon to reassure Pakistan of her country's commitments.
So instead of creating a gulf in
relations, the death of bin Laden has offered a chance to Pakistan, the
US and China to work together to combat terrorism. After all, the three
countries' anti-terrorism mission is still very much on.
The author is an associate professor at Peking University's School of International Studies.(Writer-South Asia)
