For Pakistan, there are lessons from Chinese way of nation building

By Farhan Bokhari

Pakistan’s unending enthusiasm in raising expectations from an expected visit to the country by Chinese President Xi Jinping marks a strategically vital move in the face of mounting adversities surrounding the country. And yet, the likely pitfalls in translating hope into reality are numerous enough to be ignored.

Though China is yet to confirm the trip, Pakistani officials say an invitation has been extended to and accepted by the Chinese authorities for Xi to travel to Islamabad and preside over the Pakistan resolution day parade on March 23 as the chief guest.

Symbolically, such an event will powerfully symbolise Pakistan-China friendship and may even emulate US President Barack Obama’s recent appearance as chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 26.

Pakistan’s relationship with China is unparalleled in comparison to the country’s ties with its other allies. Notwithstanding the pageantry surrounding the occasion of Obama’s visit to New Delhi and the impressive pageantry surrounding that event, along with subsequent statements from India and the US seeking a new beginning in ties, the road ahead is still potentially uncertain.

Its clear that the US, reacting to China’s rise as a major global power overshadowing the Pacific Rim, is keen to befriend India and build up that relationship to counter Beijing.

Getting its house in order

Pakistan appears to be reacting to the emerging Washington-Delhi axis. But beyond just cementing one of Islamabad’s most precious foreign strategic relationships, Pakistan needs to redouble its efforts to first get its own house in order. President Xi’s visit will not only take place at a time when Pakistan is in the midst of one of its toughest battles against militants. More importantly, the visit takes place as the country copes with the consequences of major economic and political challenges, including many of its own making.

In sharp contrast to Pakistan’s largely dismal outlook, China’s transition from its Maoist-era low growth status to a formidable global power is a journey that presents many valuable lessons. In the past, going back to its era of being an opium-stricken nation, China has indeed battled many of the challenges that are similar to the challenges that Pakistan now faces. Yet, China’s successful emergence from its crisis-ridden past could not have been possible without three inter-related factors:

* First, a successful clampdown against corruption and its related ailments dating back to pre-Maoist China, indeed set the pace for starting the matter of nation-building from scratch. Though there are many who criticise the extent of graft in today’s China, the history of rebuilding China after returning to the basics can simply not be ignored. In stark contrast, Pakistan which is now seeking to host the Chinese president, is left dealing with widespread evidence of corruption having permeated its rank and file. Consequently, attaining the ‘status’ of becoming a basket-case country is now eating into Pakistan’s future outlook.

* Second, China’s emergence to great power status was made possible in part by a single-minded determination to embrace and hold on to values of nationalism. In sharp contrast across today’s Pakistan, one obvious question over the country’s future must indeed be over the commitment of its elite to the country itself. Stories of one prominent politician after another maintaining offshore residences smack of an obvious point — a virtual absence of faith in the country itself. Its clear that the business of reforming Pakistan will never proceed successfully unless backed by a resolute commitment by its leaders to make the best of the country they have. However, in making that change, Pakistan’s ruling elite must first decide to give a new direction to the country itself. At a time when Pakistan faces unprecedented economic decline surrounding its mainstream population, its nothing short of criminal neglect that almost 99 per cent of the country’s population does not pay an income tax. And while a large segment of those Pakistanis may indeed be utterly impoverished, its also true that many in that category are the financially affluent and yet they remain immune from paying their dues.

* Finally, China’s rise was made possible by a sensible and a resolute commitment to defining the country’s best interests. Keeping the country focused on the road to economic prosperity irrespective of the many repeated provocations to enter one conflict after another, has proven to be the best possible choice in defining China’s interests. Going forward, it is this commitment that has led to China’s historical rise as the fastest-growing country that the world has ever seen.

Compromised interests

For Pakistan, there are many lessons from the Chinese way of nation building. With a history of becoming embroiled indirectly in one conflict after another on its neighbouring soils, Pakistan has compromised its interests where it mattered the most — on its home ground. Ultimately, many of the challenges faced by Pakistan eventually go to the failure to reform the country internally and power up the engine of economic growth and prosperity. In seeking to have Xi as chief guest at the March 23 ceremony, it would be a mistake by Pakistan’s policy makers to review this event squarely from a foreign policy prism. More importantly, the visit marks an opportunity to not only celebrate China’s great power status but to also learn lessons from that historic event.

Though China has stood by Pakistan during difficult moments in the country’s history, its eventually up to Pakistan’s leaders to take charge of their country and give it a qualitatively different and better direction.