Rising AsiaA Quarterly Magazine of CEAF

Issue - 11October - December, 2017

Striving for Asian Solidarity

Centre for East Asia Foundation (CEAF)Bangladesh, Dhaka

Nasim MahmmudChief EditorRumman Uddin AhamedAssociate EditorMd. Abdul KhalekAssistant EditorTashfia TasreenEditorial Assistant

Md. Shahabur RahmanGraphic Designer

Published by:Centre for East Asia (Foundation), BangladeshHouse- 49, Road-1, Flat-3AB, Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka-1205Cell: 01711 825799, 01977825799, 01701775562Email: ndipu1966@gmail.com, info@ceafasia.orgWebsite: www.ceafasia.org

All Rights Reserved:No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any formor by any means electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the pub-lisher.

Disclaimer:All the information and opinions expressed in the magazine are that of authors’ own.The Centre for East Asia (Foundation) does not take any responsibility of its correctness whatsoever.

Prof. Selina MohsinFormer AmbassadorDr. Afsarul QuaderFormer Secretary & AmbassadorProf. Sukomal Barua PhDDepartment of Pali & Buddhist StudiesUniversity of DhakaBarrister Masudur RahmanLegal AdviserDr. Md. Rakibul HoqueAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Management InformationSystems, University of Dhaka

Rising AsiaA Quarterly Magazine of CEAF

Editorial Board Honorable Advisers

Page No. Editor’s Note i

ASEAN at 50: Paths Taken, Bridges Built, and the Road Ahead 1H.E. Vicente Vivencio T. Bandillo

The Rising Pakistan 3H.E. Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui

Re-election of President Rouhani 5H.E. Dr. Abbas Vaezi

The Sino-US cold war is acquiring alarming heat 6Muhammad Azizul Haque

Bangladesh joins China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative: meeting challenges, building the future 8Nusrat Zahan

Chinese Wisdom in BRICS Governance 9Li Xia

Maldives, a state failing 11Prof. Selina Mohsin

South-South and Triangular Economic Cooperation 13Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed

His Majesty the King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee 16Condemns in Letter to United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) Unacceptable Israeli Policies, Urges International Community to Compel Israel to Put an End to Those Practices

US Accuses Russia of Arming Taliban ‘to Hide Its Own Defeat’ in Afghanistan 19Source: Sputnik

CPC 19th Congress will be a New Milestone 21Yu Sui

Modi's Visit: The View from Jerusalem 23Efraim Inbar

SECURITY:The President’s Afghan Speech 25Dr. Chen Jimin

Climate change disastrous for Asia 27Prof. Sarwar Md. Saifullah Khaled

Hong Kong’s Return to Motherland, 1997 29Abu Naser Wahid

150 Students Visits China to Strengthen Dhaka-Beijing Ties 32Desk Report: CEAF

Contents

i

Editor’s Note

Historical bondage between Bangladesh and China is an epic one since time immemorial.It is our great honour and privilege to avail the opportunity to remember the historicalvisit of Chinese president H. E. Mr. Xi Jinping to Bangladesh in October, 2016. As agoodwill gesture we had published a special issue of Rising Asia in October, 2016 duringthe Chinese president's visit. The visit has ushered in a new 'era of intensive cooperation'in trade, investment and other sectors of mutual interest and respect between China andBangladesh. The visit has also paved the way in rebuilding a strong historical relationshipand further created a strong bondage between the two friendly countries. The two coun-tries, in a bid to revamp the relationship, have also announced that 2017 would be ob-served as the "Year of Exchange and Friendship". Emblematically over the past one yearthere have been a number of cultural, diplomatic and educational exchanges imple-mented between the two countries. There is an air of expectation that innovative coop-

eration between Bangladesh and China would play an impeccable role in China's relations with South Asia andultimately benefit the two countries.

In the wake of an active genocide in Myanmar and the resulting influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh, Dhaka shouldlaunch a vigorous diplomatic initiative to internationalize the crimes Myanmar is committing in Rakhine State andsolicit support for a peaceful solution. This is a major humanitarian crisis, and reports indicate that the majorityfleeing are women and children. We are encouraged that Bangladesh government has opened its borders to receivethose who have felt they had no choice but to leave their homes.

We congratulate our Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her pragmatic and visionary steps on Rohingya is-sues. The PM was speaking at the meeting of OIC Contact Group on Rohingya Muslim Minority at the UN Head-quarters in New York on 19 September, 2017. She put forward number of proposals including full implementation ofthe recommendations made by the Kofi Annan-led Rakhaine Advisory Commission. The PM mentioning that thecrisis has its roots in Myanmar and its solution has to be found there. She also said, “all forms of atrocities against theRohingya Muslims must be stopped immediately and ‘safe zones’ may be created inside Myanmar to protect the inno-cent civilians especially the women, children and elderly.”

We strongly urge the Myanmar government to take immediate steps to implement the recommendations of the RakhineAdvisory Commission which the Myanmar government established in 2016 under the pressure of international com-munity. The commission, mostly comprised of Myanmar citizens, chaired by Kofi Annan, recommended providingcitizenship to the Rohingyas, to allow them freedom of movement, to ensure communal representation, to facilitateUN assistance in ensuring safety and security of returning people. Unless, constructive effort to build lasting peace istaken, the situation will get worse which in turn may pose serious security threat to the neighboring countries.

The 19th National Congress of Communist Party of China (CPC) is expected to open on October 18, where the newleadership for the next five-year term will be elected. Our heartiest expectation for the successful completion of theCPC National Congress-2017 and we believe this Congress would be a milestone for China’s peaceful developmentand world at large. We also strongly believe that it is the CPS’s solemn promise to the people, and that promise mustbe kept, as it has been over the past decades.

Best Regards Nasim Mahmmud Chief Editor Rising Asia Magazine (RAM) Email: ndipu1966@gmail.com

info@ceafasia.org

The Association of SoutheastAsian Nations or ASEANwas founded on 8 August1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia,the Philippines, Singaporeand Thailand when their for-eign ministers signed a 750-word document, thenceforthknown as the Bangkok Dec-laration, which encapsu-latedashared vision for theregion.By 1999, Brunei, Viet-nam, Lao PDR, Myanmar

and Cambodia had joined, increasing ASEAN member-ship to a total of ten countries.

Unity in Diversity:

Bound together byaspirations for sustained economicgrowth, social progress and cultural development, ASEAN-member countries had to look inward and around to givea local habitation and a name, so to speak, to the dreamof apeaceful and prosperous Southeast Asia. The journeyhas had its share of hurdles. It bears retelling that the re-gionis among the most diverse in the world, with differ-ences in terms of land area, population, religion, politicalsystems, size of the economy, and per capita income amongits countries. Unity was brought about by a common goaland collective will forged by ASEAN’s founding fathers.Early on the fledgling organizationrealized that, diversitynotwithstanding, peace and prosperity in the region couldbe promoted best through mutual respect founded ondueregard for justice and the rule of law, and adherence to theprinciples enshrined in the United Nations charter.

With the rich and varied heritage of each member nation,ASEAN celebrated—and continues to celebrate—multicul-turalism as a defining feature of the relationship among itsmembers. Nuances of thought and behavior have come tobeviewed through the prism of common values that placeimportance on hospitality, family and community. Fromthis climate of amity has evolved a value system that pro-motes a shared sense of neighborliness and inclusivenessin the region, a distinct identity and fellow feeling thathighlightsthe underlying respect reserved for the sovereignrights of the members (an attitude that is described as “TheASEAN Way”).

Milestones:

ASEAN marks its 50th anniversary this year with com-mendable achievements in economic, social, educational,security,cultural and technical fields. These achievements,to be sure, were in no small way attained by working to-gether with other regional and international organizationswith similar initiatives and aspirations. Among the mile-stones of ASEAN leading up to its 50th anniversarywasthefirst ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint in 2007which dealt with the need for the region to develop into acompetitive economic bloc marked with equitable eco-nomic development, among others. The ASEAN Charter,which entered into force in 2008, set the ASEAN Com-munity in motion by providing legal and institutionalframework for codifying ASEAN norms and values, settingclear targets and ensuring accountability and complianceamong its members.

The accelerated establishment of an ASEANCommunity,premised on a dynamic and vibrant regionaleconomy, deeply committed political and security coopera-tion and strong socio-cultural linkages,serves as the drivingforce in charting the course of the evolving regional architec-ture. Indeed, with the inauguration of the ASEAN EconomicCommunity or AEC in 2015, ASEAN is on track to achievea cohesive, competitive and innovative people-centered eco-nomic bloc integrated into the global economy.

ASEAN and its Environs: the ARF

In pursuance of its active role in the region, ASEAN pro-vides a venue for governments to discuss issues in an inclu-sive and open environment among stakeholders onmattersaffecting ASEAN and its partners. The ASEAN RegionalForum (ARF),generally viewed by governments and think-tanks as a model meeting place for ideas and discussions inAsia, fosters constructive discussions on political and secu-rity issues of common concern within the region. Estab-lished in 1994, the forum has become an anticipatedannual event, especially in light of its contributions to con-fidence-building among its 27 country-participants, withBangladesh being an active member.

The world is taking note of howASEANhas stimulated mul-tilateral dialogue and consultations featuring decision-makingby consensus, non-interference, incremental progress andmoving at a pace comfortable to all.Through ASEAN-initi-ated forums such as ASEAN Plus Three (with China, Japan

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ASEAN at 50: Paths Taken, Bridges Built, and the Road AheadH.E. Vicente Vivencio T. Bandillo

and South Korea), East Asia Summit (ASEAN Plus Threewith Australia, India, New Zealand, Russia and theUnitedStates) and ARF (East Asia Summit countries plusBangladesh, Canada, European Union, Democratic SocialistRepublic of Korea, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, Pakistan,Sri Lanka and Timor Leste), ASEAN makes known its com-mitment to peace not only within its borders, but also beyondit through friendly engagements with participants comingfrom different regions and blocs.

Visions and Re-Visions:

The ASEAN Community Vision2025 extends ASEAN’s out-look beyond the various planned Communities. The JointCommuniqué of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meetingreaffirms the commitment to full and effective implementa-tion of ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together, which spellsout the future direction for a stable Community.The 50thAnniversary also sees the positive progress in the implemen-tation of the different Communities’ 2025 Blueprints, theMaster Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 (MPAC) and theInitiative for ASEAN Integration Work Plan III. These tem-plates reinforce further the collective resolve expressed in ear-lier documents such as the ASEAN Vision 2020 and the BaliConcords.

MPAC 2025 articulates the communal aim to achieve afully integrated ASEAN. The challenge of translating thisinto reality lies inthe five strategic areas of sustainable in-frastructure, digital innovation, seamless logistics, regula-tory excellence and people mobility. An integratedapproach to development in these five areas will guaranteeconnectivity of member countries within the region andwith the rest of the world, bring aboutrapid economicgrowth, narrow development gaps, promote deeper socialand cultural understanding, and enhancethe Community-building process.

Complementarities and Commitments:

To help define complementarities between the ASEANCommunity Vision 2025 and the United Nations 2030Agenda for Sustainable Development, ASEAN conductedthe High-Level Brainstorming Dialogue Enhancing Com-plementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision2025 and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Develop-ment in March 2017 in Thailand. The dialogue identifiedpriority cross-cutting areas that could serve as catalysts inpromoting resilience, poverty eradication, and sustainablemanagement of natural resources.

With Community Vision 2025, ASEAN will travel the roadahead by pursuing its economic goals through inclusive de-

velopment strategies such as the unimpeded migration ofskilled workers and professionals within its borders. Proudof its noteworthy historical moments, fully aware of its richcultural heritage and empowered by a common regionalidentity, ASEAN sees itself as composed of interlinked soci-eties that form part of the global neighborhood yet hewclosely to their respective national identities, committed toproviding all its citizens with equitable access to human de-velopment opportunities regardless of gender, race, religion,language, or social and cultural background.

ASEAN also reiterates its commitment,enshrined in theTreaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone(SEANWFZ Treaty) and the ASEAN Charter, to keepSoutheast Asia free of all kinds of weapons of mass destruc-tion. The SEANWFZ Treaty will be extended from 2018-2022, and ASEAN will continue to engage the NuclearWeapon States and intensify ongoing efforts of all Partiesto resolve alloutstanding issues in accordance withASEAN’s firm determination to achieve a world free of nu-clear weapons.

The Next 50 Years, and Beyond:

In fine, ASEAN looks forward toa peaceful and stableSoutheast Asia where the causes for conflict have beeneliminated through abiding respect for justice and the ruleof law and sustained effort at maintaining national and re-gional resilience. ASEAN takes itself seriously asa force forpeace, justice and moderation in Asia-Pacific and theworld, while preserving its core values—which include re-spect for each member’s sovereignty, following the ASEANWay. Certainly, enthusiasm for an expanded relationshipwith its dialogue partners and other regional organizationsbased on mutual respect will underline ASEAN’s futureplans, statements and actions.

As ASEAN concludes its golden jubilee, it continues to bemindful of its aspirations as an outward-looking Commu-nityand of its evolving role in the international arena. Justas it looks back to 50 years ago, it also looks forward to thenext 50 years, and beyond. In a world where stability de-pends on tact and diplomacy, ASEAN will not only remainrelevant, but will become even more so in the years tocome. ASEAN now has a better grasp of its founding fa-thers’ vision of a Southeast Asia living in peace, stabilityand prosperity in a caring Community that considers thewell-being not only of the region, but also of all regions inthe world.

His Excellency Vicente Vivencio T. Bandillo is the Am-bassador of Philippines to Bangladesh.

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Pakistan is a vibrant countrywith 207 million dynamic peo-ple. Its total GDP is over US$350 billion with US $1800per capita income. Over 8.7million Pakistani nationals areresiding abroad in differentcountries of the world. Theyremit handsome amount offoreign remittances to Pakistan

which helps significantly in recouping the balance of pay-ment account.

Pakistan is blessed with surfeit of natural resources such asmighty mountains, roaring rivers, sleeping glaciers, expan-sive deserts, cooing seas, dense forests, natural gas and hugeuntapped mineral resources. The most important strengthof Pakistan is its resilient,dynamic and hardworking peoplewho play significant role in human resource development.

Pakistan has seen smooth democratic transition in May,2013, when one political government completed its stintand shifted power to another. More recently, the politicaltransition has been smoother and was in line with the dem-ocratic traditions. It indicates strengthening of roots ofdemocratic norms in Pakistan. Similarly, the judiciary isindependent and working in a very proactive manner. CivilSociety in Pakistan is politically astute and well educated.It wieldsgreat influence in redressal of numerous problemsthat they confront in day to day life. Fiercely independentmedia serves as a watchdog in Pakistan and keeps the gov-ernment of the day under check.

The menace of terrorism has largely been throttled throughthe emphatic response of the state. The improved securitysituation in the country is vindicated by the fact that 2016was the most peaceful year for Pakistan since 2007. Theimproved security situation bespeaks of the success of suc-cessive military operations. The incessant operations havegreatly diminished the negative international perceptionof insecurity that was the key challenge to the developmentof tourism in the country. Pakistan has paid gargantuanprice to contain the ogre of terrorism and extremism.Launching of operations Zarb-e-Azab and RaddulFasaad-have helped eliminate terrorism and restoring peace and

stability in the country

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is buzzwordin Pakistan as well as the region. China, which is Pakistan’sall-weather,time-tested friend, signed several agreements inthe infrastructure and energy sectors. CPEC is going toplay pivotal role in the future economic development andis, therefore, termed as a “game changer”. Total value ofthe CPEC projects is over US $62 billion. It will not onlybenefit China and Pakistan, but will have positive impacton the region and beyond as well. The enhancement of ge-ographical linkages having improved road, rail and airtransportation system with frequent and free exchanges ofgrowth and people to people contact, enhancing under-standing through academic, cultural and regional knowl-edge and culture, activity of higher volume of flow of tradeand businesses, producing and moving energy to havemore optimal businesses and enhancement of co-operationby win-win model will result in well-connected, integratedregion of shared destiny, harmony and development.

Load shedding of power had been the bane in recent past.But, the present government has undertaken several energyprojects to overcome the energy crisis. These projects in-clude hydel, thermal and wind power energy projects. Theshortfall of energy is dwindling and Pakistan will be self-sufficient in energy sectorvery soon.

The Central Asia-South Asia power project, commonlyknown as CASA-1000, is a US $1.16 billion project cur-rently under construction that will allow for the export ofsurplus hydro-electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan toPakistan and Afghanistan. This ground-breaking projectkicked off in May, 2016, in Tajikistan. At the completionof the CASA-1000, Pakistan will receive 1,300 megawattsof electricity which would help in reduction of power short-age and bring economic development and prosperity inthe country.

Pakistan is a country with huge potential for tourism. Pak-istan is home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world,dating back to 6500 BC. Mehergarh, an ancient cultureflourished in Balochistan in 6500 B.C. Later, Indus civi-lization, Mohenjo-Daro and Harrapa flourished in Sindhdating back to 2500B.C. Its people lived in well-plannedcities, with an advance life style, contemporaneous with

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The Rising Pakistan

H.E. Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui

the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, MinoanCrete, and Norte Chico. At its height, the Indus civiliza-tion spanned much of Pakistan and North India, extend-ing westwards to the Iranian border, south to Gujarat inIndia. It is regarded as the cradle of civilization in this re-gion.

Taxila is another archaeological treasure of the ancientGandhara Kingdom located in Pakistan. It is a city of theGandharan civilization, sometimes known as one of its cap-itals. Taxila was a hub of Buddhism, a center of learning,an urban metropolis and a meeting point of various cul-tures.

The great Mughal history presents yet another illustriousera of art, music, architecture and gardens which speaksvolume of their skill and taste. Their remnants of the splen-dor are scattered all over the country. Lahore, known asthe cultural hub of Pakistan, hosts some of the most im-pressive Mughal and Victorian architecture. The eleganceof Wazir Khan Mosque and a glass-workin Sheesh Mahalat Lahore Fort are the magnificent examples of intricateart-work.

Pakistan manufactures the finest sports goods, includ-ing some world class brands. The footballs used in theWorld Cup-2014 were manufactured in Sialkot. It isalso known throughout the world for its surgical in-struments. The hand-woven carpets and rugs are ac-claimed and appreciated world over.

People in Pakistan are extremely fond of sports playingboth modern and traditional sports and games. Pakistanhas the honor to have won World Championship incricket, hockey, squash and snooker a number of times.Apart from such international sports many indigenousgames and sports are highly popular and mark the individ-uality and fun-loving nature of Pakistanis. Pakistani musicis a beautiful blend of tradition and individual colors. Itdraws inspiration from the rich contribution of the 13thcentury poet and musician Ameer Khusro who composedthe earliest “raghas”. Even the pop music is a fusion ofclassical and modern tunes.

Pakistan is known for high rising mountains. This includefive out of the total fourteen above 8000 meters high peakson earth, namely the second highest rock pyramid – theK2 (8611-M), the killer mountain Nanga Parbat (8125-M),the Hidden Peak Gasherbrum-I (8068-M), the Broad Peak(8051-M), and the Gasherbrum-II (8035-M).

In short, Pakistan holds tremendous potential of growthwith unmatched strategic location in the world. Pakistanis a developing country and it is one of the eleven countriesthat have a potential to be among the world's largeeconomies in the 21st century.

His Excellency Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui is the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Bangladesh.

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Having over 7500 years of richhistory of culture and civiliza-tion and also over 3000 yearsof governance, Iran witnessedone of the greatest revolutionsin 20th century. After a longtime of efforts for freedom andself-determination, 38 yearsago Iranians led a glorious rev-olution to victory.

After their victorious Islamicrevolution under the leadership of Imam Khomeini, ab-solute majority, 98.2 percent, of the Iranians voted posi-tively for the “Islamic Republic” in a referendum held onApril 1, 1979.

Thereafter we have held one election each year on average,all of which have witnessed large turnout of the people.We never stopped holding elections even during the 8-yearimposed war by neighboring Iraq.

In line with our Constitution, Iranians with different po-litical affiliations inside and outside the country take partin a type of election which should be regarded as a rolemodel for many countries. While Iranians determine theirfate through ballot boxes, most state governments in ourregion still are unfamiliar with elections. At best, their so-called elections are unprofessional or at infant stage.

Iran strongly believes that democracy, engagement, andeconomic expansion are what give a country real power.Since the founding of the Islamic republic, democracy hasprogressed significantly within our society.

In May 2017, Iran's 12th presidential election saw PresidentHassan Rouhani reelected for another four years in office.He won a resounding reelection victory with 23,549,616votes or 57 percent of the total ballots. His main rivalSeyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, secured 15,786,449 votes or 38.5percent of the ballots.

Overall turnout in the election was registered at over 73percent. While statistics in some old democracies in the

West show turnout is much lower, the massive participa-tion in Iran election showed public trust in the Islamic re-public establishment. Therefore support for the policiesand decisions of the next government would be high.

Mr. Rouhani’s first administration has made all-out effortsto put the country on the right track of economic recoveryand secure the defense achievements and nuclear rights ofour nation. His landslide victory in the election indicatedhope and confidence on the path of economic reforms andconstructive engagement that he adopted during his firstterm in office.

In the recent election Iranians sent an essential message tothe world through the ballot boxes. This message of peaceand friendship is expected to be correctly heard: Iran is in-terested in expanding ties with world but won't ignore na-tional interests.

Iran committed to its economic self-reliance strategy, at thesame time it is open to economic relations. Stronger eco-nomic engagement with the rest of the world is vital formy country to achieve the goals set for its 6th five-year de-velopment plan (2017-2022).

Iranians are increasingly advancing in all areas and in spiteof all disloyalties, criticisms and pressures, remain to be su-perior. Now that the massive participation in the May 19presidential election has promoted the international statusof Iran, the world bows its head before the great people ofIran and addresses the nation with honor and dignity.

Islamic Republic of Iran is playing a responsible role onthe path of freedom, justice, and peace and in this direc-tion is ready to cooperate for addressing the shared chal-lenges above all helping settle conflicts in the region,fighting terrorism and restoring stability and security to theregion.

His Excellency Dr. Abbas Vaezi is Ambassador of the IslamicRepublic of Iran to Bangladesh.

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Re-election of President RouhaniIran will continue constructive engagement and rejecting extremism

H.E. Dr. Abbas Vaezi

Since the collapse of the SovietUnion in 1991, the US, itsarch rival during the Cold Waryears, has been the only super-power in the world, with its ca-pability to project power to anycorner of the globe.

However, with the change inthe economic fortune of themajor countries of the world,

the geopolitics and the global balance of power havechanged too. The US feels seriously alarmed as its su-premacy in the world is under a formidable threat from ris-ing China.

China's becoming the second largest economy of the world isseen as challenging the US’s preeminence. With its astound-ing economic achievements, China has been swiftly supplant-ing the US as the larger investor and trading partner of manycountries across the world. Despite a deceleration in its eco-nomic growth in recent years, China is likely to surpass theUS in an all round way by 2049, the centenary of the found-ing of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Against the backdrop of its current economic strength andgrowing politico-military influence, China is increasinglyasserting itself in the international arena and taking initia-tives of global reach, like the Belt and Road Initiative.

Threatened by the US’s hostile actions, China is furtherstrengthening its military and maritime power, to protectitself and its interests in the seas and oceans, especially inthe Pacific and the Indian Oceans. One of its objectives isto secure and maintain a safe passage to and from the Mid-dle East on whose oil China's dependence is huge. All thisis alarming the US and adding heat to the ongoing coldwar between the two major powers.

The Sino-US rivalry is not only economic. It is equally acompetition for geopolitical supremacy. For the US, it isa struggle to retain its economic, political and militarysupremacy as the number one power in the world; andfor the rising and increasingly more assertive China, it isto ascend to the position of the number one power in theworld.

In a recent documentary, The Coming War on China,Australian-origin British award-winning journalist andfilmmaker John Pilger has revealed how “the US has sur-rounded China with 400 military bases, which one strate-gist has viewed as “an almost perfect noose”. Pilger has alsotried to demonstrate how the build-up to war is “takingplace right on Beijing’s doorstep”, meaning places in theneighbouring countries like Japan, South Korea, and nu-merous other locations, equipped with missiles, naval bat-tle groups, nuclear bombers, drones, etc. “US navalwarships patrol just outside Chinese waters.”. He is of theview that the kind of mistrust that now exists between thetwo nuclear-armed countries makes war by misapprehen-sion or by miscalculation or accident a real possibility.

Many people in China are reportedly worried about whatthe US would do to maintain its supremacy in the world.“We don’t want to be your enemy [the West’s]. But if weare constantly described as such, we have to prepare,” ob-served a strategist in China.

August 1st, 2017 was the occasion of the 90th anniversaryof the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).The event marked a new phase in China’s biggest militaryoverhaul in 50 years. The country, reportedly, raised its nu-clear weapons posture “from low alert to high alert”.

In April this year, China launched its first domestically builtaircraft-carrier, and then in June its first 10,000-tonne de-stroyer—comparable in size to the American destroyers inthe region. Last month (July 2017) China set up its first over-seas military base in Djibouti. China’s naval build-up willenhance its capability to seize and hold the disputed terri-tory which it claims as its own in the East and South Chinaseas. In the case of a conflict, America might get involved;and Russia might join in as China’s ally.

It is being alleged that the Chinese military air traffic areincreasingly intruding into Japan’s airspace and Chinesesurface ships into their territorial sea space; and that Japanis augmenting aerial intercepts. This is raising the risk ofan accident or misapprehension between the two mili-taries. Such an incident, deliberate or unintentional,would be fraught with potential to swiftly escalate and drawUS forces in the region into the conflict.

China changed the PLA’s command-and-control system in

6

The Sino-US cold war is acquiring alarming heatMuhammad Azizul Haque

2015. Five more outward-looking “theatre commands”were created to assert China’s authority in the oceans. Thecountry is simultaneously expanding a “new-type combatforces”, particularly mobile ones. The number of aviationunits has been doubled to 14. And reportedly, the marinesare being increased from 12,000 in 2015 to 40,000. Theprime objective of all these changes is to create a more mo-bile PLA capable of projecting force abroad, not just de-fending the mainland.

China’s continued tests and bettering its capabilities in theseas and oceans, overlapping territorial claims in the Eastand South China seas, North Korea’s continued testing ofballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, andan increasingly powerful Chinese military seeking to secureits disputed islands in the East and South China seasthrough a combination of air and sea power, have height-ened the tensions in the region and caused heat to rise inthe Sino-US cold war.

Other major powers in the region are polarising aroundthe two rivals. India is siding with the US while Pakistanwith China. Japan and South Korea as well as some South-east Asian countries like Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia andIndonesia having territorial disputes with China in theEast or South China seas are polarising around the US.Russia and North Korea are also siding with China, al-though Russia might depolarise later, for it would be also

apprehensive of a very strong and militarily mighty Chinaon its doorstep.

The US seems to deem its perceived threat from China sohuge and alarming that it appears desperate in its bid tocontain China. In view of the enormous bilateral trade andeconomic interdependence between China and the US,and the possibility of an incalculable damage and destruc-tion that a war could inflict on both of them; the two coun-tries are not expected to cross the boundaries of the coldwar for an open military confrontation. However, the on-going cold war between them is acquiring heat. The un-predictable US president, Mr. Trump, seems capable ofadding more heat to it.

The thinly-veiled massive preparation of the two major ri-vals of today’s world for a possible military confrontationhas intensified so much that we are now witnessing an ob-vious heating up of the continuing cold war between them.And if one of the two sides goes berserk and triggers anopen confrontation, or a 'hot war', the consequence couldbe unimaginable. Such a war might eventually slide into aworld war –the World War III –which would have the po-tential to decimate humanity and annihilate our contem-porary civilisation.

Muhammad Azizul Haque is a former Ambassador and Sec-retary of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

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Best of friends at a Sino-US disaster relief exercise in Chengdu, Sichuan... but the US and Chinese are military rivals now in the Pacific

Bangladesh celebrated fortyyears of relations with Chinain 2015 and formally de-clared its joining in China’s‘One Belt, One Road’(OBOR) initiative duringthe visit of China’s Presi-dent Xi Jinping in 2016. Allmajor political parties wel-comed the visit of PresidentXi, the first by a Chinese

President in three decades.

President Xi’s visit to Bangladesh was marked by localmedia as the start of a “new era of friendship.” As Chinais one of the biggest development partners of Bangladesh,it was expected that the bilateral partnership would growin all areas of cooperation.

China’s economic growth has made it a strong economicforce in driving global trade. As its trading partner,Bangladesh expects from China, principally, increasingamounts of Chinese direct investment, better access forBangladeshi products in China’s market and China’s con-tinuing support in developing the infrastructure of thecountry.

Currently, China has been providing project loans and de-velopment assistance and wishes to increase investment inthe information and communication technology industry,river management, industrial zones, land reclamation andmaritime cooperation. As part of the Bangkok Agreement,China provides Bangladesh duty free access to a list ofBangladeshi products. It is expected that bilateral trade be-tween China and Bangladesh may exceed US$30 billionby 2021.

China wishes to build mega infrastructure projects withinthe Belt and Road areas to increase trade and service, of-fering substantial prospects for Bangladesh. This initiativemeets Bangladesh’s need for wider connectivity within theregion. While Asia is currently experiencing increasing eco-nomic development centering on China, if the OBOR is

fully implemented, Asia will become the center of gravityfor the world economy.

Bangladesh has already expressed interest in actively partic-ipating in the OBOR and, as a part of the initiative, theBCIM (Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar) corridoris now in its final stage. As both Bangladesh and China be-lieve in regional cooperation and have common interest inthe corridor, this offers additional impetus. China has beenincreasingly developing its cooperation with South Asiannations. In this context, Bangladesh should pay more atten-tion to its Look East policy to activate the connectivity fur-ther and thus increase bilateral trade. While Chineseinvestors have interests in Bangladesh’s garment industrydue to the availability of cheap labor, the Chittagong andMongla ports are also of great interests for China to developconnectivity for its Southern gateway.

The global economy is increasingly shifting its gravity fromWest to East and the role of the two Asian economies —i.e. China and India — are therefore gaining wider scopeto work for regional integration.

India is in the BCIM initiative which is in line with the Chi-nese OBOR initiative. Since India needs to engage in its ef-forts in developing regional integration, Bangladesh, India,Nepal, and Myanmar along with China can therefore playwider and more sincere roles to access opportunities in theregion by resolving the issues of mutual mistrust.

Given the reality, it is now urgent for Bangladesh to builda secure relationship with India and China on the basis ofmutual respect, trust and friendship. Since China’s OBORinitiative fits into Bangladesh’s goals of connectivity andincreased trade, Bangladesh now needs to make all effortsto ensure good governance and political stability so that itcan achieve the aims and expectations of OBOR, whichcould have a great impact on the long term future of theeconomy of Bangladesh.

Nusrat Zahan is a visiting scholar at FDDI (Fudan Develop-ment Institute, China) and an associate professor in internationalrelations, Jahangimagar University, Bangladesh.

8

Bangladesh joins China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative: meeting challenges, building the future

Nusrat Zahan

“Xiamen’s success provides a good example of what canbe possible with the perseverance of the 1.3 billion-plusChinese people,” remarked Chinese President Xi Jinpingin his keynote address. “In close to 40 years of reform andopening up under the leadership of the Communist Partyof China (CPC), we Chinese people have forged aheadfearlessly and with great determination, and we have suc-cessfully embarked on a path of socialism with distinctiveChinese features. We have encountered difficulties andchallenges along the way forward, but we have perseveredand kept pace with the times. With dedication, courageand ingenuity, we are making great progress in pursuingdevelopment in today’s China.” The speech, titled Work-ing Together to Usher in the Second “Golden Decade” ofBRICS Cooperation, was presented at the opening cere-mony of the BRICS Business Forum. His words evidencedPresident Xi’s pride in the Chinese nation’s tireless spiritand wisdom.

In the late 1970s, China remained a populous countrywith lagging economic development and low living stan-dards. With wisdom and resolution, the CPC took boldaction to introduce and implement the reform and open-ing-up policy to meet the nascent trend of globalizationand lead China onto a road to prosperity. An old Chineseproverb goes “When the lead rope of a fishing net ispulled, all its meshes open.” It describes how a key linkcan cause everything else to fall into proper place. Improv-ing living standards conforms with the CPC’s fundamen-tal goal of serving the people wholeheartedly, which is the“lead rope” of China’s economic reform.

The ultimate goal of improving living standards is en-abling people to lead more affluent lives. But achievingsuch a goal is never easy. Different regions in China’s vastterritory vary in natural conditions. But, as another Chi-nese saying goes, “if you want to get rich, start by building

9

Chinese Wisdom in BRICS GovernancePromoting connectivity through building roads has become vital to the prosperity of China, a country with a huge population and

vast territory. This is a key facet of the Chinese wisdom that President Xi has alluded to so many times in his speeches.

Li Xia

roads.” One rural area after another are getting connectedto urban areas, the east and west meet, and developedareas have been connected to underdeveloped areas to fa-cilitate the circulation of production materials, industrialproducts, commodities and people. Promoting connectiv-ity through building roads has become vital to the pros-perity of China, a country with a huge population andvast territory. This is a key facet of the Chinese wisdomthat President Xi has alluded to so many times in hisspeeches.

Road construction is an integral part of infrastructure de-velopment. The strategy of “getting started by buildingroads” has resulted in a giant leap forward for China’s in-frastructure construction. Over the past four decades, thecountry has made considerable achievements in transportinfrastructure including highways, railways and civil avia-tion. Currently, China’s high-speed railways have becomeone of the country’s shiniest global calling cards.

After nearly 40 years of reform and opening up, Chinahas embraced great progress. However, as the country’s re-form enters a deep-water zone in which tough challengesmust be addressed, some underlying problems have sur-faced. The “medicine” that the Chinese government hasprescribed for itself is all-out reform. So far, breakthroughshave been made in multiple areas, and reform is beingpursued with greater intensity. In particular, the pace ofeconomic structural adjustment and industrial upgradehas accelerated. This embodies the Chinese wisdom topull the lead rope. China’s economy has maintainedsteady and solid performance, and new drivers sustainingdevelopment have strengthened. Against the backdrop ofthe lingering impact of the global financial crisis, thesound development of the Chinese economy has becomea highlight of world economic recovery.

It was meaningful that President Xi started his speech atthe BRICS Business Forum with comments on Xiamen’sreform and development. Those with insight on the Beltand Road Initiative and the BRICS cooperation mecha-nism—both of which involve emerging market and devel-oping countries—understand that operation of theInitiative and the mechanism is immersed with China’sexperiences in reform and opening up and economic de-velopment as well as the wisdom of traditional Chineseculture. For example, facility connectivity, a key compo-nent of the Belt and Road Initiative, is simply an upgradedand expanded version of the Chinese proverb and experi-ence of “getting rich by building roads first.” Facing the

global economic recession caused by the 2008 worldwidefinancial crisis, BRICS countries need to focus on boost-ing economic growth and improving living standards. Thisalso aligns with the popularly held philosophy of tradi-tional Chinese culture and the CPC’s fundamental goalof serving the people wholeheartedly.

President Xi presented three important practices forBRICS countries in his speech at the opening ceremonyof the BRICS Business Forum: First, treating each otheras equals and seeking common ground while shelving dif-ferences. In terms of BRICS cooperation, decisions aremade through consultation among all BRICS members,never unilaterally. Second is taking a results-oriented, in-novative approach to make cooperation benefit all. BRICSis not a talk shop, but a task force that gets things done.Third, developing to help others with the well-being of theworld in mind. We are committed to observing the pur-poses and principles of the UN Charter, international lawand basic norms governing international relations whenconducting state-to-state relations. While in the process ofdevelopment, we are ready to share development oppor-tunities with other countries.

These three practices not only embody the BRICS spiritand the common pursuit of BRICS countries throughoutthe past decade of cooperation, but also showcase theessence of traditional Chinese culture and China’s expe-rience of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The past decade has not only seen solid progress in theBRICS cooperation mechanism, but also witnessed theunfolding of all-out reform and opening up in China andrapid economic and social development. Over these 10years, China’s economic aggregate has grown by 239 per-cent to become the world’s second largest economy, thelives of 1.3 billion-plus people have been significantly im-proved, and China has made an increasingly greater con-tribution to both regional and global economicdevelopment. Meanwhile, by implementing the Belt andRoad Initiative, promoting effective BRICS cooperationand participating in international organizations and mech-anisms such as the G20, China has contributed its uniquewisdom and experience to global governance and thepeaceful development of mankind.

Li Xia is an executive editor-in-chief of China Pictorial.

10

As darkness fell on the Mal-dives in the vast IndianOcean it seemed like a fairyland. The sky over the is-land tourist resorts and thecapital Male dazzled withmillions of stars. The darkblue water had flecks oflight from the sky. It seemeda heavenly place and the re-sort islands are still a para-dise for tourists. But what of

the capital Male, which is almost a separate world?

A few men perspired as they each carried heavy sacks con-taining US $ 1 million each towards President Yameen’sresidence. One man declared it was “difficult to carry’ suchheavy loads”.

Coming to power in 2013 through dubious means, violat-ing Articles 107, 262, 268 of the constitution, Yameenpromulgated an anti-terrorism bill granting him exclusiveauthority to declare individuals and groups ‘terrorists’. For-mer President Nasheed, a prisoner of conscience andrenowned climate change advocate was sent to jail, despitean initial commutation to house arrest. His trial under thenew anti-terrorism law had been a farce and his 13 yearssentence an unjust outrage.

On the 1st of May 2015 the air was filled with pepper sprayand tear gas from pitched battles between Naseed’s sup-

porters and the police. Twenty thousand people had comeout to seek Nasheed’s release and demand that the govern-ment negotiate with opposition parties. Police violence andarrests brought fear and intimidation.

Critical global attention fell on President Yameen. His“politicised judiciary” was condemned across the world,yet the two judges who sentenced Nasheed have since beenpromoted to the High Court. Known for extreme corrup-tion, bad governance and authoritarian cruelty, Yameenhas created a fear ridden state. He has reintroduced thedeath sentence and invalidated many earlier reforms. Tobuy the complicity or silence of MPs, judges, lawyers, busi-nessmen has seemed his main agenda.

In March 2016 news leaked out of over US$30 million cor-ruption. President Yameen was alleged to have been re-sponsible, with Ministers and MPs also benefitting fromthe heist. In response Yameen immediately proposed a billto criminalise ‘defamation’.

Journalists campaigned against it as it would kill press free-dom and debates on political or human rights issues. Theirslogan “In defence of 27” referred to the provision in theconstitution guaranteeing freedom of speech. In April 2015the police arrested some 18 persons from a ‘sit in protest’and on 26 July broke up a silent protest by journalists.Amnesty International called on the government to stopenacting the bill into law as it would have a “stifling effecton the right to freedom of expression”. Disregarding wide-spread public outrage, the bill was made into law and

11

Maldives, a state failing

Prof. Selina Mohsin

sparked fierce criticism from USA, UK, EU, Germany, Nor-way and Netherlands. Even some MPs of Yameen’s ownPeople Progressive Maldives (PPM) criticised it.

Yameen then faced a new threat to his power. He waselected as President from the PPM party but his halfbrother, Gayoom leader of PPM and for three decades Pres-ident of Maldives, withdrew his support and declined tonominate Yameen to contest the 2018 Presidential electionas PPM candidate. When Yameen challenged this thecourt declared that Gayoom was “incapable of attendingto the duties of his job” as leader of PPM and tamely gavethe leadership to Yameen.

The ball on the Maldives roulette table spun again. InMarch 2017 four political party leaders – Gayoom, formerpresident Nasheed, Gasim Ibrahim and Aadalath Partyleader Abdulla formed the ‘Maldives United Opposition’(MUO) and signed a declaration to restore democracy.

Yameen was cornered when he lost his majority in the Par-liament after 10 MPs defected to the new coalition oppo-sition (MUO). The MUO now has 45 seats in the 85 seatParliament and they are the majority party in the Parlia-ment. In July 2017, after the Maldivian Democratic Party(MDP) of Nasheed had routed Yameen’s party in local elec-tions, the opposition coalition thought that it was the righttime to begin impeachment of the Speaker. This would fur-ther weaken Yameen’s grip on the Parliament.

The political game turned nastier when the MUO opposi-tion lodged a motion for the impeachment of the Speaker.Chaos and pandemonium followed. A parliamentary sit-ting scheduled on 22 August 2017 was cancelled and theparliament was padlocked as armed guards surrounded thebuilding.

The political scenario now appeared as ‘warped’ as the sys-tem on which it rested. On one side was Yameen and hisnow fragmented PPM party. On the other side was the op-position MUO, itself an ‘unholy alliance’ with out ofpower politicians, some with questionable pasts.

Subsequently, fifty four lawyers on 11 September 2017 at-tempted to submit a petition detailing serious concernswith the judiciary to the Supreme Court. As a result, theselawyers were suspended indefinitely and barred from ap-pearing in any court in the country. They comprised 30%of all licensed legal practitioners of Maldives.

The four-party opposition reacted immediately to this ‘un-precedented mass suspension’ by asking the internationalcommunity to impose sanctions on the Chief Justice. In2015 the UN Human Rights Council had suggested mas-sive judicial reforms to ensure objectivity and transparency.But this had gone unheeded by Yameen. .

Yameen is now in a defensive dilemma and, in the midstof this political turbulence, has appealed to the oppositionfor dialogue. He says the government is willing to considerconstitutional amendments that, if all political partiesreach a consensus, could pave the way for Nasheed to con-test the 2018 presidential election.

The opposition in reply accused the government of unfairjailing of leaders, raising ‘baseless’ charges against opposi-tion lawmakers, encouraging rampant corruption, andcompromising the prosecutor general, judges and other au-tonomous state bodies.

A UN sponsored effort to initiate a dialogue between thepolitical parties failed in early 2016. Now there are two re-calcitrant political groups seemingly unable to join in dia-logue, let alone come to any consensus.

The outer islands of Maldives are still a paradise for tourists.But is the Maldivian state heading towards failure?

Prof. Selina Mohsin is the Former Ambassador of the Peo-ple’s Republic of Bangladesh.

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Maldives President Abdulla Yameen

The countries of the Asiapacific region which aremarked as the countries inthe South of the globe arestriving to end poverty andhunger to achieve sustain-able development and pro-mote faster economicgrowth with equity. UNadopted 8 Millennium De-velopment Goals (MGDs)with 21 targets and sixty in-

dicators for the period from 1990 to 2015. Several coun-tries are evaluating their respective performances. InSeptember, 2015 the UN adopted post 2015 developmentagenda which is incorporated in Sustainable DevelopmentGoal (SDGs) to be achieved by the year 2030. The 8 goalsof SDGs have to be achieved in the context of complex re-lationship between the state and the market within theeconomy and the also the relationship with the other coun-tries located in both North and South of the globe.

The Heads of State and Government and the High repre-sentatives who gathered in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia in July2015, reaffirmed that a global framework for financing de-velopment in the poor countries has to be formulated withstrong political commitment. The South-South and Trian-gular cooperation is needed to encourage global partner-ship and solidarity to transform the conditions of the leastdeveloped countries (LDCs), land locked developing coun-tries (LLDC), small island developing states (SIDS). A vastmajority of the world’s poor live in Asia. A substantialamount of poor people also live in pacific island nationstermed as SIDS. The emergence of globalization has in-creased the openness of the world economy, which has re-sulted in greater cooperation among nations, donors,international financial institutions, multinational corpo-rations, private entrepreneurs and non-government organ-izations. The countries however, have not benefiteduniformly; some even suffered negative “backwash effect”of global development. The countries of south are specifi-cally lagging behind; except few big ones like China, India,

Brazil, and South Africa.

The list of "least developed countries" applied for 48 coun-tries according to the United Nations with some that arecategorized into the landlocked developing countries andthe Small Island Developing States. In Africa 34 countries,in Asia 9 countries, Ocenia 4 countries and Americas onecountry.

Since the LDC category was initiated, only four countrieshave graduated to developing country status. The firstcountry to graduate from LDC status was Botswana in1994. The second country was Cape Verde, in 2007. Mal-dives graduated to developing country status on 1 January2011, while Samoa graduated in 2014. It is anticipated thatEquatorial Guinea and Vanuatu will be the next countriesto be promoted from LDC status. At the UN's fourth con-ference on LDCs held in May 2011, delegates endorsed agoal targeting the promotion of at least half the currentLDC countries within the next ten years.

There are three countries which presently meet the crite-rion for LDC status, but have declined to be included inthe index, questioning the validity or accuracy of the UNdata: Ghana, Papua New Guinea, and Zimbabwe

The post-2015 development agenda for the less developedcountries needs to recognize the complex relationship be-tween the state and the market, the nature of which ismostly complementary. Moreover, it is important to recog-nize the changing role of both state and market with timeand specific country situation and the need to adapt toone another. The success in the past has come in countrieswhich succeeded in bringing the right blend of the rolesof the state and the market especially in ensuring invest-ments in infrastructure and social sectors and promotingemployment-creating and inclusive growth and develop-ment. There should be a clear message that achieving theMDGs and delivering on the post-MDG agenda is not op-tional, since the agenda involves an essential investmentfor a safer, more human and prosperous world. The goalsare not just an ‘aid obligation’ but the basis for politicaland economic strategies that will benefit all the world’s cit-izens, and not just the least fortunate.

13

South-South and Triangular Economic Cooperation

Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed

In addition, the post-2015agenda should include someexplicit accountability mecha-nisms for the relevant stake-holders. Within the agenda,specific goals should form partof a conceptual framework fordevelopment for the post-2015period. The above requiresconsiderable thought and ap-propriate responses whichmeet the political and techni-cal needs of the multiple actorsin global development.

Drivers of South-South Coop-eration (SSC) that developingcountries have found to havelong-lasting benefits and de-serve further attention in-clude:

u Health: Cooperation in public health increases the col-lective ability of southern countries to fight inequalityand to promote highest attainable level of health forall. In the midst of different crises, the South has seentremendous success in combating a number of infec-tious diseases.

u Education: The developing nations have worked hardto provide education and skills to their respective work-forces.

u Policy: effective policy frameworks in countries thathave efficient governance and functioning economiescould share their experiences with other developingcountries whose weak policy-making structures and in-efficient and often corrupt governments hamper theirdevelopment.

u Science & technology: Developing countries are rap-idly moving ahead to create hubs of knowledge basedon bright and educated people and are looking forways to exchange relevant technology across the South.

u Institutional capacity: The developing nations oftenhave world class institutions owing to immense expe-rience; numerous ways to develop institutional capac-ities have been tried and tested in the South.

u Interdependency: The South realizes the interdepend-ency between individuals and their communities can

go a long way to overcoming their development chal-lenges.

u Outlook towards globalization: Many developing coun-tries have been able to derive benefits from globaliza-tion. South South Cooperation (SSC) and TriangularDevelopment Cooperation (TDC) provide a platformto exchange experiences and foster innovative develop-mental strategies.

u Support of the North: Shared goals (such as humandevelopment, security, peace etc.) can be achieved ef-fectively if SSC can be supplemented in cooperationwith the North.

SSC can take place on a bilateral, regional, sub-regional orinter-regional basis and can involve two or more developingcountries. Despite the fact that SSC can be more sustain-able than traditional North-South cooperation allowingbetter adaptation to the country situation, in practice thereis still no shared understanding on the very nature andgoals of SSC. This is true on the basis of the various andsometimes divergent “interpretations” on SSC given byboth emerging economies and developed countries. Someargue that South-South Cooperation should not be seenas a substitute for, rather a complement to North-Southcooperation. While others argue that the two models can’tbe placed on an equal footing. Triangular DevelopmentCooperation (TDC) involves two or more developing coun-tries in collaboration with a third party, typically a devel-

14

oped country government or organization, contributing tothe exchanges with its own knowledge and resources.

To promote SSC and TDC in the Asia-Pacific region thefollowing areas should be given priorities:

1. Domestic resource mobilization: Broadening taxbases, enhancing efficiency of the tax collecting au-thority, ensuring transparency, reducing discretionarypower of tax officials. However, strategy for domesticfinancing should be determined by the national gov-ernments. It should be pointed out that domestic re-source mobilization should not be taken as the pretextby the developing countries to reduce the relevanceof official development assistance (ODA).

2. Strengthening regulatory regime and creating en-abling environment for private sector investment in-cluding FDI: Laws related to land registration,contract enforcement, to be made more relevant inthe present context.

3. Strengthening the financial sector: Banks, non-bankfinancial institutions, insurance companies, capitalmarket, should promote private sector investment, fi-nancial inclusion and gender equality.

4. Roles of Policies: Along with fiscal and monetary poli-cies, other policies like industrial policy, exportpolicy, financial inclusion policy that hold out thepromise of ensuring sustainable and inclusive growthshould be introduce by the respective government.

5. Stronger and better-coordinated South-South cooper-ation in dealing with security issues has the potentialto dramatically reduce international and civil con-flicts, especially if drug trafficking and the global blackmarket are collectively targeted for elimination.

6. .South-South cooperation that aims to address hu-manitarian and social ills in Latin America and theCaribbean may be emulated to accelerate economicgrowth pursued with prudential measures to reduceinequalities, prevent social unrest and promote socialcohesion.

7. As individual organizations of the United Nations sys-tem adopt strategic approaches to South-South andtriangular cooperation in their policies and pro-grammes, additional measures should be taken en-abling agencies with similar expertise to pool orsystematize their support to efforts of developing

countries in priority areas such as the enhancementof productive capacities and the establishment of re-gional and global value chains that are essential to jobcreation and poverty eradication.

8. The most radical implications of information andcommunications technologies have not been realizedyet, especially in enabling new financing, manage-ment and marketing arrangements that will renderobsolete the hierarchical, top-down organization ofcorporations. The ability to target niche marketscheaply will make artisanal and/or rural productioncompetitive if the capacity to use off-grid renewableenergy another affordable technologies is better uti-lized for small-scale,high-quality industrial productionin rural areas across the South.

9. The numerous contributions of the private sector andcivil society to South-South and triangular coopera-tion should be better harnessed through stronger pub-lic-private partnerships that are systematically forgedto address priority development needs through invest-ments in science, technology and innovation as wellas in other fields where non-State actors have high lev-els of expertise and resources.

10. The export sector of developing countries can increas-ingly participate in global value chains (GVC) whichwill spread benefits within and across countries. Pro-grammes for increasing GVC can be tied with post-2015 SDGs

The foremost requirement is the realization of the central-ity of the role of countries of the North, multilateral andbilateral agencies and international financial institutions.This coupled with the increasing awareness for SouthSouth and Triangular cooperation will facilitate mobiliza-tion of more resources from existing and innovative fund-ing sources. More effective and viable framework (s) forachieving broad based cooperation has to be institutedwhere the roles of the public sector, private sector andnon-government civil society organizations have to beclearly delineated.

Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, Former Governor, BangladeshBank (Central Bank) & Professor, BRAC University,Bangladesh.

15

Here follows the full text of the royal letter to the UNSG:

His Excellency António Guterres,

Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization

Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

I am writing to you today in my capacity as Chairman of

the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's Al-Quds Com-mittee regarding the Israeli authorities’ continued, system-atic violations in the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and aroundthe Al-Aqsa Mosque, the first of the Two Qiblas and thethird Holy Mosque, blatantly breaching international law.

Regrettably, whenever there appear to be signs of a chance

16

His Majesty the King Condemns in Letter to United Nations SecretaryGeneral (UNSG) Unacceptable Israeli Policies, Urges International Com-

munity to Compel Israel to Put an End to Those PracticesHM King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, strongly condemned, in a letter on 26 July, 2017 to UNSecretary General António Guterres, the unacceptable Israeli policies and insisted on the need for resolute action on the part ofthe international community and the influential powers to compel Israel to put an end to those practices, through which it seeksto impose a fait accompli and decide single-handedly the fate of the City of Jerusalem – an issue which should be addressed

within the context of final status negotiations.

to revive the peace process between the Palestinians and Is-rael, the latter resorts to fabricating events and fomentingtensions to abort those prospects. This is precisely what Is-rael has done again in respect of the regional and interna-tional efforts led by the United States of America. Thanksto those efforts, the international community sensed therewas a positive atmosphere that could effectively lead to theresolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Israel has recently taken a number of seriousprovocative measures, including the following:

1. It staged unprecedented celebrations on the occasionof the fiftieth anniversary of the annexation of Al-Quds;on Sunday 28 May 2017, the Israeli government held ameeting in a tunnel under the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in whichit approved development plans for the Old City, includingthe digging of more tunnels, the installation of elevatorsand the construction of corridors.

2. The Israeli government introduced a bill at the Knessetrequiring Arab schools to teach Israeli curricula and usetextbooks to Judaize education in the occupied city of AlQuds.

3. Members of the Knesset submitted a draft bill onGreater Jerusalem, which aims to annex Israeli settlementsin the West Bank as well as other areas in East Jerusalem.

4. The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approvedthe 'unified Jerusalem’ bill, which undermines chances toreach an agreement on the city’s future.

5. The Israeli Knesset approved a preliminary reading ofa bill that bans the adhân (call to prayer) in Jerusalem andthe surrounding Arab neighborhoods.

The Israeli authorities are launching a comprehensivecampaign of escalation against the Old City in Al-QudsAl-Sharif and its surroundings by confiscating Palestinianland, by denying Palestinians the right to build and by car-rying out arbitrary evictions.

As if all those illegal practices were not enough, Israel hastaken even more serious measures. On Friday 14 July2017, it proscribed the Friday prayers, closed Al-AqsaMosque to worshipers for three days and, for the first timein half a century, banned the call to prayer. It also de-tained, for several hours, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein,the Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestinian territories.

Israel has increased tension in the region by introducing

additional provocative and unacceptable security meas-ures, installing surveillance cameras throughout the AlAqsa Mosque compound as well as security gates to checkthe worshipers and assaulting officials and employees ofthe Islamic endowment department.

These illegal actions undermine the dignity of the inhab-itants of Al Quds and constitute a provocation for allPalestinians. They may lead to an outpouring of anger andan overall public reaction that could compound the situ-ation in the Palestinian territories. These provocative prac-tices arouse the feelings of Arabs, Muslims and freedomlovers in the world. They could incite extremist tendenciesthat may lead to further tension, animosity and violencein the entire region.

Given this alarming situation, I cannot but strongly con-demn these unacceptable Israeli policies in my capacity asChairman of the Al-Quds Committee. I insist on the needfor resolute action on the part of the international com-munity and the influential powers to compel Israel to putan end to those practices, through which it seeks to im-pose a fait accompli and decide singlehandedly the fate ofthe City of Jerusalem – an issue which should be ad-dressed within the context of final status negotiations.

I therefore call on you, Mr. Secretary-General, to approachthe Israeli authorities as soon as possible and compel themto respect the legal and historical status of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the Holy Places, and to ask them to cancel allillegal measures, including the additional security arrange-ments, which have prompted suspicion that there mightbe an Israeli plan for the spatial and temporal division ofthe Al-Aqsa Mosque.

I must insist on the centrality of the issue of Jerusalemand its special spiritual significance. No infringement onits symbolic character or its time-honored cultural identitycan be tolerated. I must also warn against the risk of turn-ing the issue into a religious conflict, and exploiting thecultural heritage to incite hatred, fuel extremism and un-dermine the ideals of tolerance and affection between thefollowers of the revealed religions.

The Kingdom of Morocco believes firmly in peace - anideal endorsed by the international community - and con-siders that Jerusalem is about roots and identity. It is,therefore, convinced that forcibly imposing the fait accom-pli will only lead to more tension and violence, particu-

17

larly in these complex, turbulent times for the region.

Mr. Secretary-General,

Although the above-mentioned Israeli policies and thegoals behind them - which I condemn and reject - arealarming, I will remain optimistic and hope the Israeli au-thorities will make reason and wisdom prevail. I hope theywill ask themselves the right questions and opt for peaceand integration, rather than isolation, and thus enable thePalestinians to establish their independent State on Pales-tinian land, along the lines of 4 June 1967, with EastJerusalem as their capital.

Given your political acumen and your vast experience ininternational affairs, there is no doubt in my mind thatyou will spare no effort to restore normalcy and thus con-

tribute to setting the peace process back on track in orderto achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting solution thatguarantees the establishment of an independent Palestin-ian State, living side by side with the State of Israel, in se-curity, peace and concord.

18

“Rabat, an Imperial and UNESCO World Heritage City”

Unfounded speculations by US politicians about allegedsupplies of arms to the Taliban by Russia are aimed at con-cealing the truth of America's obvious defeat inAfghanistan, which Washington is still struggling to post-pone, Afghan political observer Vahid Mojda told Sput-nik.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's claim that Russia isarming the Taliban bears no relation to reality, Vahid Mojda,a political observer and former Afghan Foreign Ministry of-ficial under the Taliban government, told Sputnik. "I talkedwith Talibs about it and they told me that neither Russianor any other countries provided any assistance to them,"Mojda said in an interview with Sputnik Afghanistan. "They[said] they could get Kalashnikov assault rifles in Afghanistanat a very cheap price. They can buy [the rifles] directly fromthe Afghan Army. The Taliban usually draws on corrupt[Afghan] politicians to buy weapons from the Afghan mili-tary for bribes."

On 22 August 2017, during a press briefing, Tillersonclaimed that Russia was providing weapons to the Taliban."With respect to the comment about Russia, to the extent,Russia is supplying arms to the Taliban, that is a violation,obviously, of international norms and it's a violation ofUN Security Council norms," Tillerson said, "We certainlywould object to that and call Russia's attention to that. Ifanyone is going to supply arms, it needs to be through theAfghan government." However, the US secretary of statedidn't refer to any credible evidence to back his claim.

In response to Tillerson's unfounded allegations RussianForeign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova high-lighted on 24 August that Moscow has provided no sup-port to the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. She pointedout that Moscow has repeatedly rejected similar accusa-tions and has demanded Washington provide evidencethat it supports the militant movement. The spokeswomanstressed, "There is none. Such statements do not contribute

19

US Accuses Russia of Arming Taliban ‘to Hide Its Own Defeat’ in Afghanistan

to the establishment of effective cooperation between ourcountries on Afghanistan."

"If Talibs received weapons from other countries it would-n't be Kalashnikov rifles: what the Taliban needs are anti-aircraft guns," Mojda underscored in his interview withSputnik. "If the Taliban obtains these [anti-aircraft]weapons, the US will find itself in a heap of trouble inAfghanistan."

Why does Washington accuse Russia of arming the Tal-iban? Mojda assumed that the US is apparently trying todrive a wedge between various groups within the Taliban.He noted, "They are doing this to sow discord among theTaliban by convincing militants that some Talibs are con-nected to Russia. This is a propaganda campaign againstthe Taliban."

On the other hand, according to the political observer,Washington is making attempts to divert attention awayfrom the obvious fact that the US is losing its war inAfghanistan. "By pointing the finger of blame to Russia,Pakistan and other countries, they [the US] want to concealtheir defeat in Afghanistan," Mojda stressed. "The goal ofWashington's strategy is not to win in Afghanistan, but topostpone the US' defeat."

Commenting on the issue, Russian Senator Frants Klint-sevich, the first deputy chairman of the Parliament's upperchamber's Defense and Security Committee, denouncedTillerson's allegations as groundless. "The United Statescontinues to measure others by its own standards," Klint-sevich told reporters. "The logic of US Secretary of StateRex Tillerson, who accused Russia of arming the Taliban,

is absolutely 'one-dimensional': [he believes that] if theAmericans supported [Afghan] Mujahedin by all meansavailable — including weapon supplies — during the SovietUnion's Afghan war in the 1980s, Russia cannot but docompletely the same. Of course, no proof was presentedto confirm the claim."

It is not the first time that US policy makers and main-stream media have made unfounded claims aboutMoscow's alleged assistance to the Taliban. In March, USArmy General Curtis Scaparrotti, who is also NATO'sSupreme Allied Commander in Europe, claimed that hehad seen "Russian influence growing" on Taliban insur-gents. He went even further suggesting that possiblyMoscow could have been helping "supply" the militants.Scaparrotti didn't specify what kinds of supplies he meant.A month later the head of US and international forces inAfghanistan, General John Nicholson, stepped up with asimilar claim saying that he was "not refuting" reports thatRussia was providing support, "including weapons," to theTaliban. Neither Scaparrotti nor Nicholson cited any evi-dence to confirm their assumptions. Predictably, US main-stream media immediately blew up the story. Nearly amonth ago CNN reported that it obtained a video showingsniper rifles and heavy machine guns "stripped of anymeans of identifying their origin." The media outlet pre-sumed that the rifles appeared to look like Russian-madeKalashnikov guns. Still, the report admitted that "thevideos don't provide incontrovertible proof of the trade."

The Russian Foreign Ministry's reply was not long in com-ing.

"We have said many times that the allegations regardingRussian support for the Taliban, which some Westernmedia make and some Afghan media repeat, are absolutelygroundless," the Foreign Ministry said in an official state-ment. "So far, neither the Afghan authorities, nor the USand NATO commands in Afghanistan have presented anyfacts to prove these allegations." The ministry called atten-tion to the fact that the "Taliban drove American-madeHumvees in a recent attack on the base of the Afghan Na-tional Security Forces in Helmand."

The statement said, "It is easy to imagine the conclusionthat can be made from this news based on CNN's logic."

Source: Sputnik.

20

Occurring once every fiveyears, the Communist Partyof China National Congressis the most important meet-ing in the Chinese politicalsphere, drawing theroadmap for national devel-opment. The upcoming19th CPC National Con-gress will definitely becomean epoch-making milestonefor China‘s peaceful devel-

opment.

The meeting will exhibit the following characteristics:

First, it will be a solemn meeting that will certify Xi Jin-ping‘s core status in the CPC at the highest level.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, dramatic changeshave taken place in Chinese economic conditions, foreignrelations, and its political ecosphere under General Secre-tary and President Xi. His philosophy and practice of na-tional governance have successfully created remarkableachievements in China. Grand goals, outstanding leader-ship, and a simple, personable style have earned Xi the trust,respect, and admiration of his party and his nation.

It will be a splendid occasion to affirm Xi‘s leadership rolein the form of a CPC National Congress. Whether thatwill be done via organizational change within the party willbe a key focus of public attention.

The People‘s Republic of China has witnessed substantialtwists and turns since 1949. Between 1949 and 1978,under Mao Zedong, China established its socialist politicaland economic foundation. From 1978 to 1989, under

21

CPC 19th Congress will be a New Milestone

Yu Sui

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior leaders Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishanand Zhang Gaoli attend a rally marking the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the

Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Deng Xiaoping, the country formulated its brand of social-ism with Chinese characteristics through reform. Begin-ning with the 18th CPC National Congress, in abrand-new 30-year period, the country will become an in-termediately developed one under Xi.

Second, it will be a summary of the outstanding achieve-ments in national governance since the 18th Congress.

At the first press conference after assuming leadership ofthe CPC, Xi announced the implications of “ChineseDream“, saying that people‘s wishes for better lives will bethe primary foundation of the CPC‘s goals.

Extraordinary progress has been made toward those goalsin the past five years: corrupt officials have been severelypunished, citizens‘s livelihoods have seen obvious improve-ments, and the country‘s military prowess has been up-graded, along with its international status. Subsequentachievements are expected to be based in the idea of inno-vative, coordinated, green, open and shared development.The nation has benefited tremendously from Xi‘s missionto build a relatively well-off society, deepen reforms, enforcethe rule of law, and implement strict self-discipline withinthe CPC “in an all-round manner“.

Third, it will be an oath-taking ceremony for the country‘sadvance toward a stage of innovative development.

The CPC‘s grandiose ideals derive from self-confidence inthe path it has taken, its theories, systems, and culture. Tothis end, the report of the 19th Congress will be very com-prehensive. It is not difficult to imagine the most appealingparts of it will be:

First, the CPC should address how to fundamentally solvethe problem of poverty while maintaining sustained, steadyand healthy development of the national economy.Through decades of reform and opening up, there hasbeen a decrease in the number of people living below thepoverty line; more than 200 million have seen their for-tunes improve, but 27 million still struggle daily. Accordingto the nation‘s poverty alleviation plan, the CPC will notonly will it lift poor people and regions out of difficulty by2020, but will also lay a strong foundation for sustainablerelief mechanisms.

Second, the 19th National Congress should discuss howto institutionalize the fight against corruption and finallytackle the such vices while maintaining a democratic sys-tem guarantee. The people are expecting that Xi‘s promiseto “lock power in the cage of systems“ will be honored atthe 19th Congress.

Third, the CPC should examine how to build a stronger mil-itary, so as to preserve national security, facilitate national re-unification, and protect regional and global peace.

Fourth, the 19th National Congress will be an occasion todemonstrate the country‘s sense of responsibility as aglobal power.

Xi has proposed to build a human community of shareddestiny in our uncertain world. This community is the or-ganic integration of our shared interests and shared respon-sibility. True to the objective of this community, peace,development, and a “win-win” idea of cooperation havebeen consistent principles in Chinese diplomacy. Ofcourse, preserving peace is not the same as outright ap-peasement and so, there is no room for compromise whenit comes to national sovereignty. Similarly, promoting de-velopment does not mean indiscriminate giving and pro-moting cooperation does not mean supplicating anyone.Seeking win-win outcomes must be based on sincerity.

China is promoting economic globalization with the“Road and Belt“ and actively participating in global gover-nance, particularly with its leadership on climate change.The CPC 19th National Congress will usher China intowhat James C. Hsiung calls “Xi Jinping Era“, a new periodof Chinese history that will be marked by prosperity andpeace.

Yu Sui is Professor at China Center for Contemporary WorldStudies.

22

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraces 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg in Jerusalem. Known as "BabyMoshe" to millions of Indians, Holtzberg lost both his par-ents in the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The visit by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modicaused many Jerusalemites, like me, a lot of traffic delays.In retrospect, it was definitely a price worth paying.

Modi showed remarkable courage by coming to Israel with-out balancing it with a visit to the Palestinian Authority.His departure from the politically correct symmetry pleasedthe Israelis and signalled that India decided to act on itsnational interests. Israelis hope that Modi's pragmatic ap-proach will be emulated by high dignitaries who come toIsrael from all over the world.

Modi arrived last July, making him the first-ever head ofIndia's government to visit the Jewish state. Israel went outof its way to extend a most warm welcome, underscoringthe good personal chemistry between the Indian PrimeMinister and his Israeli counterpart Benyamin Netanyahu.The manner in which Israel managed the visit was well ap-preciated by Indians. "Israel is a real friend and I have reallyfelt that feeling of kinship. I feel absolutely at home here,"Modi said during a meeting with President Reuven Rivlinin Jerusalem. He emphasised that thevery warm reception was "a mark ofrespect to the entire Indian nationcomprising 1.25 billion people."

Modi's visit reflects the success of thereorientation of Israel's foreign policy.Recognising that there is a shift in thedistribution of power in the interna-tional system and that the Asia-Pacificregion is gradually becoming the cen-tre of gravity for international inter-actions, Israel has paid greaterattention to Asia. Within such a per-spective, Israel courted India, a risingglobal power located in that region.India, for its own reasons, respondedpositively, turning into the most im-portant market for Israel's defence ex-ports.

Israel's export policy is flexible, meeting Indian demandsfor technological transfer and offsets. The India-Israel JointStatement hailed defence cooperation, noting that Indiaand Israel agreed that "future developments in this sphereshould focus on joint development of defence products,including transfer of technology from Israel, with a specialemphasis on the 'Make in India' initiative."

Beyond the billions of dollars in defence deals, India andIsrael share a common strategic agenda. Indeed, the firstparagraph of the India-Israel joint statement states that thefriendship between the two states has been raised to "astrategic partnership." Modi explained: "Israel and Indialive in complex geographies ... We are aware of strategicthreats to regional peace and stability ... Prime MinisterNetanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to pro-tect our strategic interests..."

In the joint statement, both prime ministers reiteratedtheir strong commitment to combat global terror. "Theystressed that there can be no justification of acts of terroron any grounds whatsoever." The Working Groups of thetwo states on Homeland and Public security were encour-aged to implement the agreements in an efficient and ef-fective manner. Also, cybersecurity was recognised as an

23

Modi’s Visit: The View from JerusalemEfraim Inbar

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraces 11-year-old Moshe Holtzbergin Jerusalem. Known as "Baby Moshe" to millions of Indians, Holtzberg lost

both his parents in the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

important area for enhanced cooperation.

Interestingly, Modi's visit coincided with a rise in Sino-In-dian tensions in the Sikkim border area, underscoringIndia's threat perceptions and military needs. Israel, on adifferent scale, is concerned about Chinese behaviour thatchallenges its main ally - the US.

While national security issues, including defence contracts,are an important facet of bilateral relations, it is only onecomponent. The joint statement mentions a myriad ofitems of mutual interest in the civilian sphere. Looking todeepen ties, the two prime ministers presented a series ofagreements between India and Israel for cooperation inthe field of space, water management, agriculture, scienceand technology. In addition, the two countries decided tocreate a US $40 million innovation fund to allow Indianand Israeli enterprises to develop innovative technologiesand products with commercial application.

The Modi visit was extremely well covered by the Indian andthe international media. It was a great opportunity for Israelnot to be seen through the prism of the Arab-Israeli conflict,but as a technological superpower able to attract the attentionof rising global powers such as India. Modi's warmth towardIsrael was a great public relations benefit for Israel and also awelcome promotion for Israeli products.

The many Indian journalists that accompanied Modi werealso an important tool to present Israel as an attractivetourist destination. Netanyahu expressed his wish to seemany more, "but not too many," Indians coming for vaca-tion to the Jewish State.

Netanyahu touted Israel's growing ties with the second-most populous country in the world. Modi's visit serveshim well in refuting the accusations from the oppositionthat his foreign policy leads to the isolation of Israel in theinternational arena. He can convincingly argue that Israelhas become a preferred partner in the international com-munity because it has many things to offer in the defenceand civilian spheres.

Netanyahu accepted an invitation from his Indian coun-terpart to visit New Delhi. The visit had already been inthe works and Indian officials said the trip would likelytake place toward the end of 2017. That will provide an op-portunity to check the progress made, identify the blockshindering the implementation of the agreements and fur-ther solidify the ties between the two countries.

Efraim Inbar, professor emeritus of political studies at Bar-IlanUniversity and former director of the Begin-Sadat Center forStrategic Studies, Israel.

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QUOTABLE QUOTE

First, the speech defined thestrategic principle of hisAfghan policy as “principledrealism”, which means thenew strategy is a shift from atime-based approach to onebased on conditions. Trumpsaid that the United Stateshad spent 16 years inAfghanistan with huge costsin manpower and material

resources, whilst gaining little, and that this was unaccept-able. Trump stressed that the United States could not easilywithdraw troops from Afghanistan, because “a hasty with-drawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, includingISIS and al Qaeda, would instantly fill”. Whilst Trumpdoesn’t want American forces to remain in Afghanistanfor long, he recognizes why that might be necessary. He

made it clear that the first US core interest in Afghanistanwas to “seek an honorable and enduring outcome worthyof the tremendous sacrifices that have been made, espe-cially the sacrifices of lives”.

Second, it clarified the strategic objectives of his Afghanpolicy. Trump said that “[v]ictory will have a clear defini-tion: attacking our enemies, obliterating ISIS, crushing Al-Qaeda, preventing the Taliban from taking overAfghanistan, and stopping mass terror attacks againstAmerica before they emerge.” This means US strategic ob-jectives consist of both defeating the terrorists and prevent-ing large-scale terrorist attacks on the United States andensuring the Afghanistan doesn’t fall into the hands of theTaliban. Although Trump claimed that Afghan nationbuilding was not the priority of US foreign policy, the es-tablishment of a capable Afghan government friendly tothe US is the desired outcome.

25

The President’s Afghan SpeechUS President Donald Trump unveiled his policy for Afghanistan on August 21, in his first speech on the subject.

Dr. Chen Jimin

Security

Third, it means a larger role for the military. He declaredthat whilst “[m]ilitary power alone will not bring peace toAfghanistan or stop the terrorist threat arising in that coun-try…strategically applied force aims to create the conditionsfor a political process to achieve a lasting peace”. Trumphas already lifted restrictions the previous administrationplaced on soldiers, enabling them to fully and swiftly en-gage with the enemy.

Fourth, it attached importance to the role of allies andpartners, and called for them to assume more financial re-sponsibilities. This time, the United States made India itsmain focus. Trump said that whilst “[w]e appreciate India’simportant contributions to stability in Afghanistan…Indiamakes billions of dollars in trade with the United States,and we want them to help us more with Afghanistan, es-pecially in the area of economic assistance and develop-ment”. In addition, the US also required its NATO alliesand global partners to support the new strategy with addi-tional troop and funding increases.

Fifth, it deemphasized democratization. Trump stressedmore than once that democracy building in other coun-tries was not worthwhile. The Trump administration does-n’t see regime change or nation reconstruction as animportant goal. He said：“We will no longer use Ameri-can military might to construct democracies in farawaylands, or try to rebuild other countries in our own image.Those days are now over.” Trump shows less enthusiasmfor democratization than previous American presidents.

Trump’s speech sparked controversy both at home andabroad. India welcomed the new Afghan strategy, whilePakistan showed strong dissatisfaction. Pakistani ForeignMinister Khawaja Asif said that the US “should not makePakistan a scapegoat for their failures in Afghanistan”.

The new strategy stirred up different reactions at home,showing a clear partisan divide. Republicans welcomed it.Senator John McCain praised Trump’s new strategy, sayinghe believed that “the President is now moving us well be-yond the prior administration’s failed strategy of merelypostponing defeat.” Most Republicans applauded the de-cision to avoid a timetable for withdrawing troops. But De-mocrats criticized it as a speech devoid of substance.Particularly, they disagreed with the policy of increasingtroop levels without a set time frame. House MinorityLeader Nancy Pelosi said that by not setting a ceiling onthe number of troops or a timetable for withdrawal, he was“declaring an open-ended commitment of American liveswith no accountability to the American people”.

Of course, no strategy Trump sets can succeed without theapproval of Congress. The first challenge his new strategyfaces will likely be domestic.

Chen Jimin, Ph.D, is an Associate Research Fellow for the In-stitute for International Strategic Studies at the Party School ofCentral Committee of C.P.C.

26

QUOTABLE QUOTES

The Asian Development Bank(ADB) said in a report that, abusiness-as-usual approach toclimate change will be "disas-trous" for Asia, undoing muchof the phenomenal economicgrowth that has helped it makevast inroads against poverty. Acontinued reliance on fossilfuels will see the world's most

populous region face prolonged heat waves, rising sea lev-els, and changing rainfall patterns that will disrupt theecosystem, damage livelihoods and possibly even causewars. The report from the Manila-based bank said that"Unabated climate change threatens to undo many of thedevelopment advancements of the last decades, not leastby incurring high economic losses". Asia's global economiclinks mean that extreme climate events could disrupt sup-ply chains not only in the region but also in the rest of theworld, the report warned.

The ADB said that despite stunning economic growth thatsaw Asian per capita incomes rise 10-fold in the past 25years; it remains home to the majority of the world's poorpeople. This, along with the fact that large shares of its pop-ulation inhabit low-lying coastlines, has made the world'slargest continent "particularly vulnerable" to climatechange. Myanmar, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Vietnam,Pakistan, and Thailand are among the world's top 10 coun-tries most affected by extreme weather events. The ADBvowed in 2015 to double its climate finance mitigation in-vestments to US $6 billion by 2020, including US $2 bil-lion to help countries shift to renewable energy.

Parts of the continent could see mean temperatures shootup to eight degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels bythe end of the century, as the global mean temperaturerises by half that, ADB added. It said that "A business-as-usual scenario will lead to disastrous climate impacts forthe people of Asia and the Pacific, especially for poor andvulnerable populations". But it said the region could avertdisaster by shifting to renewable energy sources. The 2015Paris climate accord commits nations to keep global tem-

peratures well below 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit)above pre-industrial times.

The report said that while a 2 degrees Celsius rise will bedifficult to manage, "one can assume that a 4 degrees Cel-sius increase would lead to humanitarian disasters in manynations and result in unmanageable migration flows orlocked-in populations". Asia as a whole would see sea levelsrise by 1.4 metres (4.6 feet) within this century. The ADBwarns that climate change will be nearly twice the projectedincrease under the Paris deal, and face more destructive cy-clones. In this scenario, the region's coral reef systemswould collapse from mass bleaching, with severe conse-quences for fisheries and tourism. Melting Asian glacierswould cause floods and water shortages, disrupting agri-culture, and increase dependence on rainfall to meet waterneeds.

The impact of such changes on access to energy and natu-ral resources were all potential powder kegs for conflict,the report said. The study projects additional heat-relateddeaths of nearly 52,000 elderly people across the regionannually by the 2050s, nearly 8,000 extra diarrhoeal deathsin South Asia, and some 10,000 more malaria and denguedeaths in Asia.

But, nevertheless, the best ways to cut climate change areoverlooked. A new study made by the researchers, fromLund University in Sweden says that teachers and policy-makers are missing a golden opportunity to show peoplethe best ways to cut climate change and reduce their carbonfootprint. It identifies four ways of behaving it says willhave the most substantial effect in decreasing someone'sclimate impact: eating a plant-based diet, avoiding airtravel, living without reliance on a car, and having smallerfamilies. The researchers analysed 39 peer-reviewed papers,carbon calculators and government reports to calculate thepotential of a range of individual lifestyle choices to reducegreenhouse gas emissions. According to a Climate NewsNetwork message received from London, they say theircomprehensive analysis identifies what people can do tohave the greatest impact.

27

Climate change disastrous for Asia

Prof. Sarwar Md. Saifullah Khaled

Writing in the journal Environmental Research Letters,the authors say that their study found that the incrementalchanges advocated by governments may represent a missedopportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions beneaththe levels needed to prevent climate warming – the goal setby the 2015 Paris Agreement. The lead author of theSwedish study, Seth Wynes, said that there are so many fac-tors that affect the climate impact of personal choices. Butbringing all these studies side-by-side gives us confidencewe have identified actions that make a big difference. Hesaid that those of us who want to step forward on climateneed to know how our actions can have the greatest possi-ble impact; this research is about helping people makemore informed about choices.

For example, living car-free saves about 2.4 tonnes of CO2

equivalent per year, while eating a plant-based diet saves0.8 tonnes of CO2 equivalent a year. Seth Wynes said thatthese actions, therefore, have much greater potential to re-duce emissions than commonly promoted strategies likecomprehensive recycling – which is four times less effectivethan a plant-based diet – or changing household light bulbs– eight times less effective. "We recognise these are deeplypersonal choices. But we can't ignore the climate effect ourlifestyle actually has. Personally, I've found it really positiveto make many of these changes” said Study co-author Kim-berly Nicholas.

Prof. Sarwar Md. Saifullah Khaled is a retired Professor ofEconomics, BCS General Education Cadre.

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Twenty years ago on July 1,1997 had occurred a mo-mentous event of the mod-ern Chinese history. Chinaon that day had resumedher sovereignty over HongKong after a break of 156years. In 1842, China hadto cede Hong Kong islandlocated on the south – eastcoast of China to Britain

after losing the 1st Opium War (1839 – 42 ). This occu-pation of Chinese land by the British was followed by an-nexation in 1861 of adjoining Kowloon peninsula areaconsequent upon the defeat suffered by China in the 2ndOpium War. A further instalment of land from Kowloonpeninsula and over 250 small islands off Hong Kong wassecured by the British in 1898 through a 99 year lease dealforced upon China as a sequel to defeat suffered by herin the 1894 Sino-Japan War. With all these acquisitions,Hong Kong ‘s area had grown to 1067 sq kilometres. Itwas governed as a British Crown Colony during 1842 –1997 . During this period, Hong Kong which was asparsely populated place had grown to become one of theworld’s leading port and financial hub with nearly six mil-lion people.

( 2) But this occupation of territory which had been anintegral part of China since pre – historic days was badlyhumiliating for the Chinese government and people. Sowhen the territories lost in wars were being finally re-trieved in 1997 through diplomatic efforts , a visible senseof pride and euphoria engulfed the Chinese people andthe government. To celebrate the home coming of peopleand lost territory, a huge Countdown Clock was erectedin 1996 at the hallowed ground of the Tiananmen Squareof the Chinese capital Beijing showing the progression ofnumber of days and hours left for the “ Return of HongKong “ to the motherland and was continuously telecastcountry wide. As the Countdown Clock struck zero at themidnight between 30 June and 1 July of 1997, the wholecountry erupted in great joy. A marathon 7 hour long Pub-

lic Welcome ceremony unfolded at the TiananmenSquare. Simultaneously ,a more formal and tightly chore-ographed official handover ceremony took place in HongKong attended by Chinese President Jiang Zemin, PrimeMinister Li Peng, Foreign Minister Qian Chichen andPrince Charles representing British Queen, British PrimeMinister Tony Blair, Foreign Secretary Robin Cook andthe last British Governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten.This capitalist entity got accommodated keeping its gov-erning and economic management system intact alongsidethe Chinese socialist market economy system under a onecountry – two system formulation innovated in 1984 bythe Chinese Supreme Leader Deng Xiaoping.

( 3) A look back at the history may now be useful. Chinasince middle ages had been a prosperous country and atease with herself without bothering to cultivate close com-mercial contacts with the outside world. The first formalcontact was with an European maritime power was withthe Portuguese who was able to secure a trading post inMacao ( near Hong Kong ) in 1557 trading in silk. Teaetc for European market. The other European nations ofcourse tried unsuccessfully to get involved. Trading withthe Chinese was not easy. In those days Canton (presentday Guangzhou ) was the only Chinese port permitted bythe government of China to carry out foreign trade. Andthere, the foreign traders were required to deal with only13 Chinese companies – known as Hongs –who were au-thorised by the Chinese government to undertake foreigntrade. Against this restrictive environment, British EastIndia Company was assiduously engaged in its effort. Itwas of course suitably placed to carry out China trade asshe was the only trading house authorised by British Gov-ernment to handle trade in Asia. And this Company atthat time had also been active in Indian subcontinent andwas already tasting success there. The British East IndiaCompany in time started doing well in Chinese operationselling luxury items like: clocks, watches and some opiumand buying Chinese tea , silk etc for the British market.Chinese market had shown great demand for opiumwhich the British could meet with supplies from India.Opium was permissible item in China and its trade flour-

29

Hong Kong’s Return to Motherland, 1997

Abu Naser Wahid

ished till 1799 when Chinese government imposed banon it fearing its debilitating effect on its populace. How-ever, the Hong and the corrupt government officialshelped the foreigners to ensure that clandestine trade inOpium continued. All sides involved amassed great for-tune in this operation.

(4) But in 1833, the British Government ended the mo-nopoly right of the British East India Company in carry-ing out trade in Asia. As a result, many other Britishtrading companies got the opportunity to rush in toChina to set a foothold there. These Companies wouldcome to be known as Taipans and they competed witheach other fiercely to get hold of Chinese commoditiesspecially tea. At that time, Britain had developed an insa-tiable demand for tea but the British companies did nothave many products that were of interest to the Chinese.The Chinese therefore asked for the balance payment ineither silver or gold but the British Crown was not willingto use their reserve for the Chinese trade. The Taipansstarted to smuggle in larger quantities of Opium – whichalways had a strong underground demand - to pay for theirpurchases of ever higher quantities of tea. The toxic tradein officially banned Opium grew rather fast and soonreached to 18000 chests. The Chinese government thenvigorously renewed its efforts to restrict smuggling ofOpium into the country. When the Chinese governmentseized 20,000 chests of smuggled Opium, the British gov-ernment used it as an alibi to declare War on China in1839 in the name of defending the principle of free trade.The resultant war came to be known in history as the 1stOpium War and continued until 1842. The British RoyalNavy was able to overpower the unsophisticated Chinesefleet and occupied Hong Kong island and laid seize onall South China sea ports. For cessation of the hostilities,under the Nanjing treaty, China was made to cede HongKong island to the British for turning it into a Freeportwith the right to trade with mainland. China was alsomade to open up five other ports to foreign trade opera-tions thereby effectively breaking down the monopoly ofCanton as the foreign trade gateway of China. Further,the British secured the most favoured nation right fortheir trade and own the right to import Opium.

(5) France, Belgium, Sweden and Russia joined the frayto grab “ Concessions “ of their own in which pieces ofterritory each countries’ rules ran supreme.

(6) Now on becoming a British entity, Hong Kong was de-

clared as a Freeport for everyone to use as a trading baseand with aggressive promotional activities, it started at-tracting other European and non-European businesses toestablish their shops there. The population of Hong Kongas a result started to grow fast putting pressure on spaceavailable. With growing prosperity, the concern for pro-viding security to the businesses also came to the fore. TheBritish then initiated the 2nd Opium War in 1856 onsome pretext. The Chinese were overwhelmed again andforced to sue for peace. In terms of the resultant unequaltreaty : the Treaty of Peking of 1860, southern part ofKowloon peninsula adjoining Hong Kong was ceded tothe British. The British thus got a foothold on the main-land China as well as had met their immediate require-ment of space for spatial development of Hong Kong.Further, the European powers for the first time wan theright to set up Diplomatic Representations in Beijing.

(7) But the desire of more territory for Hong Kong didn’tstop there. The Sino – Japan War of 1894 which Chinalost provided another opportunity to the British. TheBritish as well other European powers ganged up togetherfor demanding more concessions from China. As a sequel,the Chinese were forced to sign “ The Convention forthe Extension of Hon Kong Territory” in 1898 grantinga 99 year lease ( instead outright seizure – courtesy of thebenign US intervention on the side of China ) a large areaof northern Kowloon Peninsula and over 250 small is-lands surrounding Hong Kong island collectively knownas New Territories. This lease was set to expire in 1997.The total area of Hong Kong was thus raised to 1067 sqkm giving it a depth and it continued to grow fast to be-come a global centre of commerce and finance.

(8) As the 20th century wore on, most people continuedto bet on Hong Kong’s unhindered growth and prosperity.Although, Britain was legally required to surrender theleased land of New Territories in 1997, the prevailing wis-dom and mood in Hong Kong and in Britain till late1970s was that it was a mere technicality which would beglossed over and status quo would be allowed to prevail.That is , the business as usual scenario for Hong Kongwould remain unchanged and uninterrupted.

(9) But to the Chinese consciousness, the status of HongKong was always a highly problematic situation and notpossible to set aside or forget. All the three treaties whichhad gone to create Hong Kong were coerced throughBritish armed invasions and the Chinese people wilfully

30

never accepted or recognisedtheir outcome. Since the birthof Peoples’ Republic of Chinain 1949, the Chinese govern-ment had time again clearlystated : Hong Kong is a part ofChinese territory and Chinarefuses to abide by the termsof these unequal treatiessigned between the Britishand the then Chinese govern-ment. While the historicallegacy was acknowledged, thefirm belief was that a peacefuland negotiated solutionwould be achieved for re- unit-ing Hong Kong with themotherland.

(10) As the expiration date ofthe Lease of the New Territo-ries continued to advance, the issue of Hong Kong con-sistently found its place in the Agenda of all interactionsbetween Chinese and the British governments. The Bei-jing government continued to make it clear that it ex-pected the return of the New Territories in 1997 as peroriginal lease term, thus leaving no choice for Britain. Itthen dawned on the British that Hong Kong andKowloon without New Territories are too small to be self-sustainable and they as such reached a reluctant conclu-sion that the entire territory would need to be returnedto China. To smoothen the path of reunification and toenlist enthusiastic cooperation of Hong Kong people, theSupreme Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping – famed for steer-ing China towards opening up of the economy to the out-side world for building a socialist market economy –proposed the concept of “ One Country – Two Systems“ in 1882. Under this formula, even after reunificationwith socialist mainland, Hong Kong’s capitalist system ofeconomy and way of life – including its British laid legalsystem - would remain protected for the next 50 years. TheColony will become a SAR – Special Administrative Re-gion – within China and would enjoy a high degree of au-tonomy in all matters except foreign affairs and defence.A Basic Law ie a mini- constitution incorporating thesesafeguards would be promulgated to run the Hong Kongbeyond 1997. Between 1982 and 1984, the Chinese andBritish side had conducted 22 rounds of talks to hammer

out the details of arrangements for transfer of the HongKong territory on 1 July, 1997 and the architecture of ad-ministrative system for the subsequent 50 years. Rest isnow history and Hong Kong as we know has continuedits uninterrupted robust growth under Chinese the sover-eignty also.

(11) To conclude this story on a lighter vein, a referenceto history may be interesting to recall. “ Albert ( my hus-band ) was so amused at my having got the barren islandof Hong Kong with hardly a house on it “ so wrote thethen British Queen Victoria to King Leopold of Belgiumin 1841. Captain Elliot , the Commander of British NavalForce which had occupied Hong Kong was dismissed bythe British Government for obtaining such a barren is-land instead of a more promising spot such a big expedi-tion was supposed to yield. Little did many people tooknote of the deep but well sheltered harbour that barrenisland – known as heung gwang or fragrant harbour inlocal dialect - offered to enable it to allow in time to be-come a top port of the world. Captain Elliot should beturning in his grave now!

We salute the Chinese people on this happy anniversary.

Abu Naser Wahid is a former Economic & Commercial Min-ister at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Beijing and a former Con-sultant of World Bank Projects.

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Jiang Zemin and Prince Charles at the handover ceremony in 1997. [Credit: AFP]

As a part of China-Bangladesh Youth Exchange Pro-gramme, 150-member student delegation from Bangladeshvisited China’s Yunnan Province for two weeks that beganon September 11.

The visit took place following the Chinese President Xi Jin-ping’s announcement during his visit to Bangladesh in2016 that China would invite 600 Bangladeshi students toChina during 2016-2020. This is the first visit.

The Chinese Embassy in Dhaka and Confucius Insti-tute/Hanban has sponsored the visit with Coopera-tionfrom the Yunnan University in Kunming. The student del-egation made this visit with an objective to strengthen cul-

tural and people-to-people exchanges and carry forwardfriendship between the two countries.

During their visit to China, the student delegation vowedto work as “Ambassadors of Friendship” to contribute tobetter future of the two countries and help grow them ina faster pace.

As part of ‘Bangladesh-China Youth Camp 2017’, the stu-dent delegation have visited prominent cultural and histor-ical sites, top educational institutions across the YunnanProvince and called on the prominent figures there.

Desk Report: CEAF.

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150 Students Visits China to Strengthen Dhaka-Beijing Ties

The 150-member student delegation at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka on 31 August, 2017. Dhaka University former Vice-Chancellor Prof.AAMS Arefin Siddique and Chinese Ambassador Ma Mingqiang were present at the flagging off program.

The 7 member CEAF Youth Team with the Chief Guest Prof. Dr.Chang Li, Vice-President, Yunnan University, China.Youth Team were at stone forest in Kunming, Yunnan, China.