Let there be no doubt China has emerged as Super Power- xi.
The international geo strategic dynamic has under gone a sea change. Economically China is way ahead with reserves of over 3,399 trillion US$. Militarily it has narrowed the gap with USA. Besides conventional forces, the Great Leap forward has been in Cyber Warfare and Celestial / Space research.
China has been able to achieve this with sacrifice, simplicity in living, based on the principles of Communist Party founding fathers, seek the truth, hard work and curb corruption.
China has been able to uplift over 500 million populations above the poverty line in last 20 years. The Chinese also has been able to manage largest fiscal reserves in the world. It has enabled China to increase their budget militarily and venture in to space research. Economy is the key to become a super power. The Chinese have learnt the art of usage of their economic power, the soft power, to align the countries in their favour. This, we will discuss in the later part of this article. But to come back militarily Chinese major leap forward has been in the cyber warfare and celestial research. They are probing to explore space in this vast reservoir.
Meanwhile they are strengthening their naval resources and increasing their naval supremacy in the open seas, especially in South China Sea. Thus china has effectively blocked the lockdown by QUAD.
The Chinese approach has been three-dimensional, first economy, then military and the third use of diplomacy. They have been very successful to first introduce a system of governance of 1. 4 billion people of China. This was a stepping stone and an uphill task. They have proved that Communist Party with the modified approach can achieve the aim which western democracy could not accomplish. They also have proved wrong Western analysts who seeing the fall of Communism in USSR concluded Communism has failed to deliver. As discussed earlier, in economy, they have devised a modified method of governance to uplift the people. Coupled with building of infrastructure and allied development with emphasis on road connectivity and one of the best railway systems in the world. They have been able to lay over 35,000 km plus super train rail system. This is still expanding and may go up to 75000 Km. It is the best in the world. The United States only have 350 km of super train and 1000 under construction. It makes 1350 km in the United States. Simply there is no match as for as super train infrastructure is concerned. Even Mr. Putin during his last official visit to China was taken on a super train ride. Though Russian Railways are also fairly advanced.
To safeguard from the upheavals of sanctions by US, China gradually is shifting from US dollars regime to usage of local currencies. In this connection number of protocols is signed with different countries. This is empowering them to bypass the sanctions. Similarly tariff war is countered. It also has helped them to integrate its military doctrine with economic diplomacy. There is no doubt a country can only be strong militarily if it is strong economically. The leap forward in the technology has made it possible for China to integrate conventional warfare with technology. It is this aspect which is worrying United States most and they consider China is the new enemy. Especially 5G technologies have given new shape to future war being dependent on communication.
In the field of diplomacy China has proved its supremacy in the use of soft, economic power to align the countries with China. In this they have come up with the concept of international connectivity in the shape of BRI which the figure eventually reaching 141 countries in all continents. The star Project is the connectivity on the western side of Himalayas in connecting China all the way to South East Asia. The other project is connecting Central Asia with the subcontinent with Afghanistan by road with Gwader and eventually connecting with the Europe. The key Project is the Gwader Port and CPEC. Its upshots are in Africa and South American connectivity. China has moved fast to fill the geo strategic and political space offered in the new dynamic of changing world order.
In the new geo strategic dynamics Pakistan an important ally being key in the BRI and CPEC. It has if on one side opened door to prosperity, Pakistan being an ally will face renewed pressures, especially after US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The pressure could be in all three dimensions, economic through WB, IMF and FATF, physical by way of subversion, unrest, and sabotage, and diplomatic. USA cannot remain by stander and allow Pakistan’s tilt towards China at the cost of its geo strategic interests. Thus USA will also keep itself engaged in Afghanistan in one form or other.