Opinion
The Anti-China syndrome
The denunciatory critics of the Rajapakse Presidency are at total variance with the overwhelming majority of Sri Lankan people, not
President Mahinda Rajapakse inspects the newly constructed National Performance Theatre constructed in the old Colombo Municipal Council grounds at Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha in Colombo on 27 June 2011.The project costing over 3 billion rupees was largely funded by China
only on domestic matters but also on Sri Lanka’s external relations. The recent Gallup poll reveals that 9 out of 10 Sri Lankans approve of President Rajapaksa’s leadership; a colossal 91% which significantly exceeds the share of Sinhalese (74%) in the island’s population. The same Gallup poll shows that China is easily the most popular country among the Sri Lankan people.
Excellent bi-partisan relations
That has been the case for quite some time, if my memory of public opinion polls of an earlier decade serves me accurately. This is quite unsurprising given the excellent bi-partisan relations that Sri Lanka has enjoyed with China, the warmth generated by Zhou Enlai’s visit, the socially beneficial nature of China’s economic contributions to Sri Lanka such as the Free School Uniforms programme (initiated by President Premadasa) and China’s consistent support for Sri Lanka’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Sri Lankan people remember all this and more so, the support given by China throughout the war, including the diplomatic and military support during the crucial last war in the face of western vacillation and occasional pressure in its terminal stages. The Sri Lankan people, as the most recent Gallup and other, earlier, opinion polls show, are a grateful people. It is a pity the same cannot be said of sections of its Opposition and the political ‘commentariat’ which have commenced a raucously anti-China chorus.
Latin America’s exponential growth in ties with China
Vibrant Latin America led by a newly resurgent social democratic or populist Left, has witnessed a conscious and exponential growth in economic ties with China, which that continent is using to counterbalance centuries of iniquitous relationships with their Northern neighbour.
Compare and contrast the rhetoric from UNP and pro-Opposition economists, about the damaging effects of China’s economic
President Rajapakse meets with a Chinese business delegation on April 11, 2008
interaction with Sri Lanka, and the moralistic condemnation of its lack of conditionality on domestic governance structures (democracy), with the views of one of the of the most celebrated young economists of the day, Dambisa Moyo, author of ‘Dead Aid’.
In an interview in the online edition of ‘Guernica’ a magazine of art and politics, Ms. Moyo says “… From my perspective, China’s goal is to develop China and to raise the living standards of Chinese people. Fortunately, there are benefits for Africa, as well. In the very narrow prism of economic development, I think it is better for the Chinese to be in Africa because they view Africans as business partners. And even when they don’t—because I don’t want to make it seem like the Chinese are perfect—I believe that there is scope for having that conversation… I don’t think Africa needs westerners to step in and wag fingers at the Chinese and say, “Oh, don’t go into Africa because you’re being exploitative.” Some of the worst despots across Africa have been under the ostensible reign of Western interests…The Chinese have created jobs; they’ve built roads. The West has failed to do that in sixty years in Africa…Are Africans
Sri Lanka and China signed an agreement to enhance ICT ties on 15 June 2010. The main objective of the agreement is to implement novel measures for the enhancement of communication and information technology sectors between the two countries. Other objectives of the Agreement include undertaking development measures, implementing new policies on exchanging information, implementing communication infrastructure facilities, training and human resources development. Apart from these, both parties expressed willingness to take measures for the improvement of communication and information technology sectors between the two countries.
getting jobs and improving their lives because of the Chinese presence? Overall, the answer is yes…”
Mutual respect and affection
One can surely do no better in taking one’s stand and charting one’s policy, than be guided by the perspective on China clearly articulated by Hon Lakshman Kadirgamar. In the last year of his life, speaking on the occasion of the unveiling of the bust of Premier Zhou Enlai at the BMICH in the presence of Prime Minister Wen Jia bao, (an occasion on which I was privileged to be present) he said:
“…When a relationship is based on mutual respect and affection, the size, importance and power of one of the two countries in that relationship does not have a disproportionate influence on the other. China has never sought to influence the domestic politics of Sri Lanka. Over the years China has proved to be benign and sincere with no ulterior motives for befriending Sri Lanka. She has never
tried to dominate, undermine or destabilize Sri Lanka. She has come to our rescue with timely assistance on several occasions when there were threats to Sri Lanka’s national security and territorial integrity…It is in the light of these considerations that Sri Lanka observes with admiration China’s steady, peaceful ascent to the summit of economic power. Long may the People’s Republic of China flourish and prosper. Long may the friendship between China and Sri Lanka grow in strength and vigour.”(April 9th, 2005)
Sri Lanka’s Asian identity
Sadly, Sri Lankan opinion makers have been unhealthily divided – as has been the policy debate in the media–between those who tilt to the West, to India or to China. There are those who tilt to the west and mistrust India, those who tilt to the West and India and mistrust China, and those who tilt to China while being hostile to India. All these positions are inimical to Sri Lanka’s national interest which should commence with an appreciation of Sri Lanka’s Asian identity and destiny, which entails a close and warm relationship, not always equidistant, with both India and China.
September 8, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Interesting piece by DJ boosting his master’s decisions vis-à-vis the SINO-Lanka link and the growing bilateral ties between the two countries. Space does not permit me to go into detail so I will satisfy myself to give readers, [FOR MANY COULD BE IGNORANT, SOME NAÏVE PERHAPS] a few excerpts on this whole affair , some of it cropped from the WIKIPEDIA files, JUST TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE’S A WHOLE, WHOLE LOT MORE, [MUST I SAY SINISTER?] TO THIS SIDLING UP TO CHINA BY THE RAJAPAKSA COMPANY THAN MEETS THE EYE.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE IGNORANT I WOULD ASK THAT YOU SCOUR WIKIPEDIA’S ENTIRE TAKE ON THIS SUBJECT FOR A REAL EYE OPENER .Asia News and the NYT also have additional material should you care to browse them. BUT FOR THIS IMMEDIATE PURPOPSE LET ME GIVE A FEW EXTRACTS AT LEAST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOISE NOT TOO IGNORANT OF THE MASSIVE GLOBAL POWER GRAB THAT’S BACK OF ALL THIS SIDLING UP TO THE CHINESE. IT’S PART OF THE BG PICTURE. READ IT ALL TO ENSURE THAT YOU DON’T GET FOOLED BY THE DRIBBLE COMING OUT OF PRO-GOVERNMENT PENS.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO is an intergovernmental mutual-security organisation which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization AS THE SCO. Predominantly their aims are :
• Co-operation of security.
• Military co-operation.
• Econ9omic co-operation.
• Cultural co-operation.
Factors working in favour of India joining the SCO are its major military presence in Central Asia, its close military ties with several Central Asian countries (especially Tajikistan and Russia) and ALSO ITS DEEP INTEREST IN THE REGION’S ENERGY RESOURCES, JUST AS CHINA AND RUSSIA HAVE THEIR OWN INTERESTS TOO.
In 2010, India showed a keen interest in joining the group, “We are interested in SCO membership. It is a very important organisation concerning the region,” the Indian government said.
China has also shown its interest for a greater role of India in Asia club.
• The Secretariat of the SCO is the primary executive body of the organisation. It serves to implement organisational decisions and decrees, drafts proposed documents (such as declarations and agendas), function as a document depository for the organisation, arranges specific activities within the SCO framework, and promotes and disseminates information about the SCO.
•
• IT IS LOCATED IN BEIGING.
THE SCO IS MADE UP OF :
•
Heads of State
Date Country Location
June 14, 2001 China
Shanghai
June 7, 2002 Russia
Saint Petersburg
May 29, 2003 Russia
Moscow
June 17, 2004 Uzbekistan
Tashkent
July 5, 2005 Kazakhstan
Astana
June 15, 2006 China
Shanghai
August 16, 2007 Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek
August 28, 2008 Tajikistan
Dushanbe
June 15–16, 2009 Russia
Yekaterinburg
June 10–11, 2010 Uzbekistan
Tashkent[29]
June 15, 2011 Kazakhstan
Astana[30]
Heads of Government
Date Country Location
2001 Kazakhstan
Almaty
2002 Russia
Saint Petersburg
2003 China
Beijing
2004 Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek
2005 Russia
Moscow
2006 Tajikistan
Dushanbe
2007 Uzbekistan
Tashkent
2008 Kazakhstan
Astana
2009 China
Beijing[31]
2010 Tajikistan
Dushanbe[32]
• SRI LANKA WAS GRANTED DIALOGUE PARTNER STATUS IN THE SCO AT THE GROUP’S 2009 summit in Yekaterinburg.
The SCO’S Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member states against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
The Head of RATS is elected to a three-year term. Each member state also sends a permanent representative to RATS. [ GOTA CAN BE DREAMING OF THE DAY HE WILL BE HEAD OF THE RATS COMMITTEE, NUMBER ONE RAT, SO TO SAY.
SCO leaders at Peace Mission 2007. Hu Jintao, Vladimir Putin, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Islam Karimov [ MR WILL BE DREAMING OF SEEIGN HIMSELF IN THIS GROUP PICTURE SOME DAY…HECK, EVEN GOTA I N THE COMPANY OF OTHER RATS OF THE SCO ORGANIZATION…OOPS! RATS MEANING REGIONAL ANTI-TERRORIST STRUCTURE !! SORRY THERE !] AND WHO KNOWS? DJ COULD WELL BE EYEING A LONG TERM SHOT AT A SLOT THERE TOO ?
More on this for readers to know the drift of things in this burgh IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN KNOWING JUST HOW VERY, VERY FAR REACHING ALL THIS APPARENTLY MUNDANE HOBNOBBING WITH BEIJING IS ALL ABOUT !
The SCO is primarily centered on its member nations’ Central Asian security-related concerns, often describing the main threats it confronts as being terrorism, separatism and extremism. HOWEVER, EVIDENCE IS GROWING OF ITS ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ITS MEMBER STATES IS INCREASING FAST” [ AND THAT’S WHERE THESE INNOCUOUS SOUNDING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM GUYS LIKE DJ COUNT AND WHY THEY ARE PLANTED IN THE PAPERS AND ON WEBSITES].
All SCO members but China are also members of the Eurasian Economic Community. A Framework Agreement to enhance economic cooperation was signed by the SCO member states on September 23, 2003.
AT THE SAME MEETING THE PRC PREMIER PROPOSED A LOMNG TERM OBJECTIVE TO ESTABLISH A FREE TRADE AREA IN THE SCO REGION WHILE OTHER IMMEDIATE MEASURES WILL BEBTAKEN TO INCREASE THE FOOW OFM GOODS WITHIN THE REGION. [ YOU NOW SEE WHERE STUFF FROM DJ ET ALL HAVE SIGNIFICANCE IN BOLSTERING THE PLANS AS THEY ARE BROUGHT INTO FRUITION]
A follow up plan with 100 specific actions was signed one year later, on September 23, 2004.
On October 26, 2005, during the Moscow Summit of the SCO, the Secretary General of the Organisation said that the SCO will prioritise joint energy projects; such will include the oil and gas sector, the exploration of new hydrocarbon reserves, and joint use of water resources. The creation of an Inter-bank SCO Council was also agreed upon at that summit in order to fund future joint projects. The first meeting of the SCO Interbank Association was held in Beijing on February 21–22, 2006.[15][16] On November 30, 2006, at The SCO: Results and Perspectives, an international conference held in Almaty, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Russia is developing plans for an SCO “Energy Club”.[
The address by Russia’s Putin also included these comments: “We now clearly see the defectiveness of the monopoly in world finance and the policy of economic selfishness. To solve the current problem Russia will take part in changing the global financial structure so that it will be able to guarantee stability and prosperity in the world and to ensure progress.”
Note this well:
“The world is seeing the emergence of a qualitatively different geo-political situation, with the emergence of new centers of economic growth and political influence. We will witness and take part in the transformation of the global and regional security and development architectures adapted to new realities of the 21st century, when stability and prosperity are becoming inseparable notions.”
AND, IF I MAY ADD, THAT’S WHAT AL THIS ECONOMIC/MILITARTY CO-OPERATION IS ALL ABOUT, USHERIGN ININ A WHOLE NEW GLOBAL AND REGIONAL SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT ARCHITECTURE !!
Iranian writer, Hamid Golpira, had this to say on the topic: “According to Zbigniew Brzezinski’s theory, control of the Eurasian landmass is the key to global domination and control of Central Asia is the key to control of the Eurasian landmass…[ now prick your ears up a little here]. “Russia and China have been paying attention to Brzezinski’s theory, since they formed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2001, OSTENSIBLY TO CURB EXTREMISM IN THE REGION AND ENHANCE BORDER SECURITY….. BUT….. MOST PROBABLY WITH THE REAL OBJECTIVE OF COUNTERBALANCING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE UNITED STATES AND NATO IN CENTRAL ASIA.”
Now then, that’s what Sri Lanka is backing in the ultimate essay and why the US is adopting its particular stance on Sri Lanka and why guys like DJ are asked to plant his seeds on these websites and in the press.!!!!
Then in November 2005 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated that the “Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is working to establish a rational and just world order” and that “The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation PROVIDES US WITH A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PART IN THE PROCESS OF FORMING A FUNDAMENTALLY NEW MODEL OF GEOPOLITICAL INTEGRATION. “
That’s what’s back of all this innocuous sounding stuff we read here and there.
A Chinese daily expressed the matter in these terms: “The Declaration points out that the SCO member countries have the ability and responsibility to safeguard the security of the Central Asian region, and calls on Western countries to leave Central Asia. That is the most noticeable signal given by the Summit to the world.
SINCE THEN THE ULTIMATUM IS BEIGN GIVEN TO THE WEST TO QUIT SOUTH ASIA TOO.. AND THAT MY FRIENDS IS PRECISELY WHY THE RAJAPAKSA’S ARE HOBNOBBING WITH CHINA, FLIRTING AROUND WITH INDIA, PLAYING UP TO MOSCOW…. AND ALSO PRECISELY WHY THE GOVERNMENT WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT RIGHTS VILATIONS, ALLEGATIONS OF WAR CRIMES ETC
THE BATTLE LINES HAVE BEEN SECRETLY DRAWN BY THE RAJAPAKSA’S AND THEY’VE COMMITTED SRI LANKA TO THE HILT TO LEND THIS NATION’S AIR AND SEA BASES TO THE SECURITY FORCES OF THE SCO [ THAT’S WHAT ALL THOSE SECRET TRIPS TO CHINA WERE ALL ABOUT !] FOR WHEN THE BIG SHOWDOWN COMES.
SRI LANKA HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO BEING A MERE PAWN IN THE HUGE EURASIAN STANDOFF AGAINST THE US AND NATO WHEN THE SJHOWDOWN COMES.
THAT’S THE ENORMITY OF THE BLUNDER THIS GOVERNMENT HAS MADE , INTENTIONALLY KEEPING THIS UNDER WRAPS AND GETTING AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE ARE SO DAMNED NAÏVE.
Naturally therefore, when people such as TG come up with succinct comment on our stupid flirtations with China, those of DJ’s ilk are asked to counter those feints pronto.
And here are a few excerpts from the NYT:
Take Aid From China and Take a Pass on Human Rights
Gemunu Amarasinghe/Associated Press
Ethnic Divide Worsens as Sri Lanka Conflict Escalates (March 8, 2008)
Times Topics: Sri Lanka
FOR 25 years, the dirty little war on this island in the Indian Ocean has stretched its octopus arms across the world. The ethnic Tamil diaspora has provided vital funding for separatist rebels; remittances from Sri Lankan workers abroad have propped up the economy; the government has relied on foreign assistance to battle the insurgency.
Today, a shifting world order is bearing new fruits for Sri Lanka. Most notably, China’s quiet assertion in India’s backyard has put Sri Lanka’s government in a position not only to play China off against India, but also to ignore complaints from outside Asia about human rights violations in the war.
The timing is propitious. The government jettisoned a five-year cease-fire this year, and is now banking on a military victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. In so doing, it has faced a barrage of criticism over human rights abuses and has lost defense aid from the United States and some other sources. And, in recent months, government officials have increasingly cozied up to countries that tend to say little to nothing on things like abductions and assaults on press freedom.
Sri Lanka’s foreign secretary, Palitha Kohona, put it plainly when he said that Sri Lanka’s “traditional donors,” namely, the United States, Canada and the European Union, had “receded into a very distant corner,” to be replaced by countries in the East. He gave three reasons: The new donors are neighbors; they are rich; and they conduct themselves differently. “
The Rajapaksa’s couldn’t turn back now even if they wanted to.
WHAT A TERRIBLE PRICE TO PAY FOR WINNING THE WAR … AND THAT’S AN OVERRIDING REASON WHY DEVOLUTION WILL BE OUT OF THE EQUATION ALTOGETHER.