Asia News Digest
Congress Leader on India-Pakistan Talks
Congress Party Member of Parliament and a Pakistan hand, Mani Shankar Aiyar (who was born in the Pakistani-part of Punjab and had served in Pakistan as a senior Indian diplomat), endorsed a continuity of the outgoing Vajpayee government's policy towards his Pakistan, but added that the new ruling coalition would "identify what both sides are actually aiming at in the India-Pakistan dialogue." Speaking at the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) on May 16, Aiyar, who is close to the Congress' power center, drew parallels between talks held by the Vietnamese leaders with the Americans at the height of Vietnam War, and the present Pakistan-India dialogue process. Aiyar said both sides should learn to keep official channels open and not to link them with terrorism. The Vajpayee government had demanded that the talks would be successful only if Pakistan stops sending terrorist infiltrators inside the India-held part of Jammu and Kashmir.
The first round of talks on nuclear and military confidence-building measures with Pakistan is scheduled for May 25-26. The agreed roadmap for India-Pakistan engagement calls for talks on Kashmir between the two foreign secretaries in June/July, and a full review of the full range of interaction by the foreign ministers in August. (See InDepth for a report on the Indian elections.)
Chinese Scholars View New Indian Gov't Positively
Former Chinese Ambassador to India, Zhou Gang, told The Hindu on May 16 that he thought the new government in India "will continue the process of improvement of bilateral relations" with China. These are "important for peace and stability in the region, in particular, and world at large."
Another India hand, Wang Hongwei said: "I don't think there will be a major change in India's foreign policy towards China." The bilateral relations have improved very much," following the "very successful visit" to Beijing by former Indian Premier Vajpayee, added Wang.
Professor Ma Jiali of the Chinese Institute Contemporary International relations (CICIR), saw the changes in India as "a good sign for bilateral relations," given that Rajiv Gandhi's visit to Beijing in 1998 was really "a milestone." The Congress Party was "active in fostering Sino-Indian relations, and now, the pace may be faster, not slower."
Malaysian Premier Badawi Visits China in May
Accompanied by large entourage of 800, indicating how close the two countries are and how well he is appreciated in Beijing, Malaysian leader Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will make his first visit to China as Prime Minister. The occasion marks the 30th anniversary of ties between the two countries. In 1974, Malaysia's second Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, made a ground-breaking visit to China, where he met China's Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou En-lai.
In September 2003, while still Deputy Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi had called on Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
China is Malaysia's fourth-largest trading partner, while China is Malaysia's seventh-largest trading partner. Bilateral trade between them has grown from $1.5 billion in 1991, to $18 billion in 2003. Malaysia accounted for 25% of China's trade with all 10 ASEAN countries in 2003. China is the largest buyer of Malaysia's rubber and palm oil.
The year 2004 has been declared Malaysia-China Friendship Year and a host of events have been scheduled throughout the year. A particularly important celebration will be the 600-year anniversary of the voyage of the Chinese Admiral Zhang He to Malacca, the former Malaysian capital.
China, Kazakstan Discuss Development, Regional Security
The leaders of China and Kazakstan held meetings in Beijing on May 17 to discuss the development of railroads, oil pipelines, and regional security. Kazakstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev is visiting China for four days (May 16-19).
President Nazarbayev and Chinese President Hu Jintao signed a joint statement on May 17, praising the development of bilateral ties. They emphasized the importance of their treaty on good-neighborly cooperation of 2002, and joint economic cooperation in China's west, and in Kazakstan. The new Eurasian railroad being planned by Kazakstan got special attention. The two leaders also signed on Agreement on the Establishment of Sino-Kazak Cooperation Committee.
The two governments said they would keep peace and stability along their border areas, and cooperate for global and regional security, especially against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
The China-Kazakstan Cooperation Committee will expand cooperation in trade, energy, infrastructure construction, and agriculture. This includes joint construction of an oil pipeline from Atasu to the Alataw Pass into China "as soon as possible," as well as other oil and natural gas projects, including on the Caspian Sea.
Specifically, China wants Kazakstan enterprises to invest in eastern China, and Kazakstan wants Chinese investment to participate in construction projects.
Both sides emphasized the importance of the UN Charter and international law, and spoke highly of the work of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Philippines Army Warns of Coup Danger
The chief of the Philippines' Armed Forces (AFP), Gen. Narciso Abaya, told the press on May 17 that arrest warrants have been issued for active duty officers, accused of campaigning for opposition Presidential candidate Fernando Poe. He warned that retired generals were organizing active duty troops for a coup. It must be noted that General Abaya did nothing in the pre-election period when his cohort, retired Gen. Fortunato Abat, was openly campaigning at military bases demanding cancellation of the election, and imposition of a junta to rule the Philippines.
The Army is on double red alert. Only 25% of the votes cast in the Presidential election held on May 10 have been counted so far, and yet both sides are claiming victory. There is growing evidence of widespread election fraud.
UN Appeal: Free Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar
UN envoy Tan Sri Razali Ismail, a senior Malaysian diplomat, has called on China, India, and ASEAN member states to assist in obtaining the release of the leaders of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleague Tin Oo, from house detention, in order that she and her associates can participate in the constitutional convention, organized by the Myanmar ruling State Peace and Development Council.
Following a series of four meetings among NLD members, held in Aung San Suu Kyi's residence, NLD leaders and members decided on May 15 to boycott a constitutional convention, which convened on May 17. More than 1,000 delegates, from all walks of life, did attend the convention.
The NLD challenged the continuing house arrest imposed on Suu Kyi and her colleagues, and to the ruling military junta's insistence that the military should retain a key roll in the nation's political future, as well as a proposal that the head of state must have at least 10 years military service, which would rule out Aung San Suu Kyi.
Anti-American Sentiment Rising in Asia
There is an increase in anti-American sentiment throughout Asia, despite evidence that bilateral relations between the United States and Asian governments have improved dramatically, experts attending an Asia Foundation forum held in Washington D.C on May 18, said, according to AFP May 19.
Former senior South Korean diplomat Kim Kyong-won told the meeting: "In fact, I would say that anti-American sentiment is growing at a disturbing rate and has never been that bad as it has become today. He said that U.S-Northeast Asia inter-governmental relations at present has blossomed to "unprecedented" levels, with Washington close to governments in China, South Korea, and Japan.
Farooq Sobhan, a retired senior Bangladeshi diplomat said: "For the first time in 50 years, relations between the United States and all the countries in the region, notably India and Pakistan, have been good and yet, paradoxically, the United States has never been more unpopular than it is today."
Top Afghan Warlord Agrees To Demobilize Troops
Afghan warlord Atta Muhammad of the Jamiat Islami in northern Afghanistan, and close ally of Defense Minister Muhammad Qaseem Fahim, has told Afghan government officials that he has already submitted a list of his troops to Kabul. The U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has welcomed the agreement and said that this is one more significant step in the demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration process.
President Hamid Karzai, under pressure from Washington, is now trying to disarm some of the top Afghan warlords with a large militia. The disarming of the warlords would pave the way for the Presidential election in September, Washington said. However, President Karzai has not met with much success in this area.
Karzai was in Herat in western Afghanistan to request the Herat governor, and one of the most powerful warlords in Afghanistan, Ismail Khan, to disarm. That request has gone unheeded. It is also not certain that Atta Muhammad, who vies for control of the region with another leading warlord, Abdur Rashid Dostum, would actually hand over his militia and arms to Kabul.
The Afghan President is under severe criticism within his country for failing to disarm those warlords who are under the control of his defense minister, along with some other ministers.
Foreign Terrorist Suspects Held in Pakistan
Pakistani intelligence agencies have arrested five foreign terrorist suspects in Peshawar's Sultan Colony. Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, claimed that these five had escaped from Pakistan's tribal area of South Waziristan during the Pakistani Army's operation to search and destroy foreign terrorists last March. Of the five arrested, two are Arabs (one Saudi, the other Kuwaiti), two ethnic Uzbeks, and one Afghan. They had in their possession detonators and timers for use in exploding bombs.
In a related incident, Pakistani officials have arrested a German national, Richard Cahoon, at the Chappari checkpoint, trying to enter the tribal area of Kurram from Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province.
Pakistani officials said security guards recovered from Herr Cahoon a locally manufactured pistol and a knife. Herr Cahoon also said that he is a convert and his Islamic name is Ramazan. He said he wanted to meet the locals in the tribal areas.
According to Pakistan's law, no foreigner can enter the tribal areas without a written permit issued by the officials.
|