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March 30, 2023 Special Dispatch No. 10543

Column In Pakistan's Leading Urdu Daily Examines Chinese President Xi Jinping's Visit To Moscow: 'China Is Now Embarking On A Well-Defined Path As A New Superpower In The 21st Century'

March 30, 2023
Russia, China | Special Dispatch No. 10543

In a recent article, Pakistan's leading Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Jang examined the recent trip of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Moscow. The article titled "China – A New Diplomatic Superpower," is written by Pakistani commentator Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani.

In the article, Dr. Vankwani argues that China is emerging – singularly on the strength of its successes in trade relations – as the new superpower of the 21s century. Dr. Vankwani articulates emerging expectations from China to play larger diplomatic roles, especially after its successful effort in bringing about the Saudi-Iran rapprochement.

Following are excerpts from his article:

"Even Before The Chinese President's Visit To Russia, There Were Speculations In The International Media That China Is Now Willing To Play The Role Of A Mediator Between Russia And Ukraine"

"China's third-time elected president Xi Jinping is currently in Moscow for an important visit to Russia [March 20-22, 2023], where he held a three-hour meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. In the context of the Ukraine-Russia tension, this visit is being given a lot of importance in the international media.

"Its biggest reason is China's leadership role in facilitating the restoration of diplomatic relations between the Middle East's two extreme rival countries: Saudi Arabia and Iran. Those who observe global history know very well that for the past few decades, Saudi Arabia and Islamic Iran are two countries that have ideologically opposed each other on all fronts.

"Due to the increasing opposition of the two countries, their diplomatic relations were also at a standstill, but now the two countries have surprised the international community by standing on the mainland of China and announcing the restoration of relations. In my view, the presence of the Chinese foreign minister as a guarantor on this occasion is a testament to China's great diplomatic success.

"Even before the Chinese president's visit to Russia, there were speculations in the international media that China is now willing to play the role of mediator between Russia and Ukraine. International analysts consider the Russia-Ukraine conflict [as part] of the Cold War between the Soviet Bloc and the American-led Western Bloc of the past. It is a fact that Ukraine's desire for inclusion in the anti-Russian NATO alliance had forced Russia to declare war against the former Soviet state.

"Unfortunately, one year has passed since the Russia-Ukraine war [began], but Russia could not win a complete victory over Ukraine, nor have NATO and the Western countries come forward to save the war-torn Ukraine. In such circumstances, if any third country seems serious about brokering a ceasefire, it is China, which already has trade victories to its credit. This is the reason that based on China's close relations with Russia and Ukraine, both countries have agreed to give China an acceptable role."

"In My View, China Has Become The Owner Of So Much Influence And Reach Due To Peaceful Economic Relations That At The International Level It Is Getting Its Opponents To Sit At The Table For Dialogue And Is Brokering Agreements"

"Before Chinese president's visit to Moscow, a special column by Putin appeared in China's respected daily, The People's Daily. In it, he highlighted the importance of bilateral relations with China while criticizing NATO.

"The Russian president's position is that Russia and China are desirous of  jointly combating some countries' nefarious goals. Facing common threats, Russia and China should promote their currencies for bilateral trade. He also expressed his willingness for serious negotiations while speaking positive words for China on the Ukraine issue.

"On the other hand, Ukraine has formally requested that China play its role in establishing a ceasefire upon Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement saying that Ukraine is closely watching the Chinese president's trip to Russia and expects that China will pressure Russia to terminate the war against Ukraine.

"For establishing peace, Ukraine is ready for dialogue, according to the latest agreement of the United Nations Charter and General Assembly. However, the Ukrainian government's position is that the complete withdrawal of Russian forces must be ensured to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity for establishment of peace.

"In my opinion, China's growing role in international affairs is largely due to its emphasis on global trade. On the one hand, China declares Taiwan as a rebel province, but it also issues special permits for Taiwanese citizens for trade purposes. It also opposes the United States on global issues but does not allow trade to decline.

"If China is, on the one hand, India's biggest trading partner, then on the other hand it is also investing heavily in Pakistan under the CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor] project. A few years ago, when border clashes were ongoing between India and China, at that very moment, China's commercial containers were moving in and out of India's borders.

"If today, China becomes a reason for a new breakthrough by bringing Russia and Ukraine closer, then it would be indicative that China is now embarking on a well-defined path as a new superpower in the 21st century. In my view, China has become the owner of so much influence and reach due to peaceful economic relations that at international level it is getting opponents to sit on the table for dialogue and is brokering agreements.

"It should be hoped that the visit of the Chinese President to Moscow will pave the way for a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire and the countries of the world will resolve their conflicts through dialogue and devote their energies to the service of humanity."

Source: Jang.com.pk/news/1207803, March 24, 2022.

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