Chinese Support - 13

While one should not read too much into China's support for Pakistan on the Abbottabad raid, it would not do to dismiss it as a routine exercise in diplomacy either. By asking America to respect Pakistan's sovereignty — the raid to take out Osama bin Laden was, after all, conducted on Pakistani soil, without the government's knowledge — China has reiterated a principle cardinal to relations among nations. Considering that no other country has come out so categorically in support of Islamabad on what has turned out to be a demeaning episode for Pakistan, the Chinese prime minister's remarks, during the course of his Pakistani counterpart's visit, must be a source of
 satisfaction for the government. They uphold Pakistan's stance that the raid should have been jointly conducted and that the SEALs' foray and the intermittent drone attacks demonstrate an unwarranted unilateralism that undermines rather than strengthens the war on terror. Two other points emphasised by Wen Jiabao deserve attention. First, he said he had raised the May 2 raid with American officials during their strategic dialogue and emphasised the need for Washington to understand Islamabad's problems; second, Beijing expects Washington to recognise Pakistan's own sacrifices during the war. In fact, what Mr Wen said has often been acknowledged by American officials themselves.


Ever since 9/11, no country has suffered the way Pakistan has at the hands of terrorists of all hues. A minimum of 30,000 Pakistani soldiers and civilians have been killed, evoking condemnation from most Pakistanis few of whom have supported Osama bin Laden. On the whole, Mr Wen's statement after talks with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is expressive of the restraint that characterises China's foreign policy, especially towards its neighbours, because he lauded the Pakistani leader's acceptance of the Indian premier's invitation to Mohali. Given the doubts being cast by the international community on Pakistan's commitment to the war on terror, the Chinese prime minister's assurances that changes in international politics will not affect Beijing's relations with Islamabad, the commitment to help strengthen this country's defence capability and the decision to supply 50 Thunder jets are a matter of satisfaction for the government.

Editorial, Dawn (Islamabad), May 20, 2011, http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/20/chinese-support.html