? Original title: Why do China's new measures make Indians nervous recently?
Sometimes the stall is too big, which is also a burden for India.
Text | Lin Qiu Yongzheng
A few days ago, the foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan held the first trilateral foreign ministers' dialogue in Beijing.
At the press conference, the three parties expressed their commitment to strengthening relations, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, promoting interconnection under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and combating all forms of terrorism indiscriminately.
At the same time, China and Pakistan expressed their willingness to work with Afghanistan to actively explore ways to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win. It is this that touches the pain points of some countries.
For example, some Indian media said that "the plan to extend the India-China Economic Corridor to Afghanistan makes India feel uneasy, which will further penetrate into Central Asia and connect with South Asia" and "China will further encircle India".
In response to such remarks that China is "over-expanding", Foreign Minister Wang Yi also responded. The trilateral foreign ministers' dialogue between China and Pakistan does not seek to replace the existing mechanism and does not target any party other than the three countries. China still advocates the reconciliation process of "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned"
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Afghanistan
According to the website of India Today, the extension of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan is "China-Pakistan sword dance, which means India". India has a reason to say so.
Over the years, India has pursued an active foreign policy towards Afghanistan, and relations between the two countries have improved significantly. India has provided Afghanistan with more than $2 billion in post-war reconstruction assistance; Help Afghanistan build roads, power grids, medical care and other infrastructure, such as the international highway extending from Delaram City, Herat Province, Afghanistan to Zaraji City, Iran, the Salam Hydropower Station costing hundreds of millions of dollars and the new Afghan parliament building costing 75 million dollars.
However, the assistance provided by India is not "free".
For example, in the military field, India requires the Afghan National Defence Force to receive comprehensive training from the Indian army, requires officers to go to India for training, or allows the Indian army to come to Afghanistan. At the same time, let the Afghan army "assume its due military responsibility". To put it bluntly, I hope to cultivate Afghanistan into a "pawn" to contain Pakistan's "strategy" in the future.
In the final analysis, India hopes to use Afghanistan and Iran (especially the port of Cha Bahar) to bypass Pakistan and extend its influence to Central Asia. For example, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which India just joined, also aims to enhance its presence in Central Asia through this platform. To this end, India did not hesitate to build strategic arteries in Afghanistan, quietly infiltrated and painstakingly managed. Of course, part of it also stems from Pakistan's failure to properly handle relations with Afghanistan. In 20 16, Pakistan fought hand-to-hand on the border several times, which made Afghanistan more pro-India.
However, sometimes the stall is too big, which is also a burden for India.
Although India calls itself "the overlord of South Asia", it still cares about its own economic construction, let alone helping others. For example, when building the strategic highway in Hindu Kush Mountain, the "economic lifeline" of Afghanistan, there is not enough money to complete the highway construction except for low efficiency. At this time, the Afghan side proposed to introduce China's funds to participate in the construction of roads, which was firmly opposed by India.
In this way, it is not difficult to understand the Afghan turn to China.
On the one hand, development is the main theme. Afghanistan and Pakistan have the same desire for economic development. At the same time, China has economic strength and access to technology and capital. On the other hand, China has always had close ties with Afghanistan. Moreover, China advocates "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" and does not excessively intervene in internal affairs, which to some extent makes Afghans feel more at ease.
In this way, India, which deliberately "planned" in South Asia, lost Afghanistan, a strategic grip to contain Pakistan. Can you not be anxious?
Image source: Observer Network
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Profound meaning
Perhaps everyone's impression of Afghanistan only stays in the "Taliban" or the 16 war of the United States here. But in fact, the "imperial tomb", the "great game" between Britain and Russia in history, and the contest between the United States and the Soviet Union in Afghanistan during the Cold War all seem to tell us that this place is chaotic.
So why did China "get involved" in the Afghan issue?
First of all, it will help China to crack down on the "three forces", drug import and other major issues. On 28th, terrorists launched a series of attacks on the Afghan capital, killing at least 4/kloc-0 people and injuring 84 others. The "Islamic State" subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack. Faced with the resurgence of terrorists, no country in the world can be said to be completely safe. In order to combat terrorist forces, China needs cooperation between the two countries, strengthen anti-terrorism intelligence cooperation, and jointly keep terrorists out of the country.
Secondly, the most important thing is to help promote the "Belt and Road Initiative". Especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as the flagship project, after all, Afghanistan is the only place where the "Silk Road Economic Belt" passes. In Afghanistan, China has invested huge resources, such as Eynac copper mine project and Amu Darya basin oil field project, but it has been difficult to actively promote it due to domestic security problems in Afghanistan.
Moreover, China is the best candidate to solve the Afghan problem, and only China has such ability and possibility.
On the Afghan issue, China has always been detached, adhered to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and maintained friendly relations with various Afghan factions. China's role is irreplaceable by other countries. In contrast, the United States, India and Pakistan are all directly related parties to the Afghan issue, and the gains of any one party or the changes in relations between the parties may cause other countries in the region to react.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the biggest change of China's diplomacy towards the periphery is "managing and shaping the periphery". In other words, for the surrounding future environment, China should have its own future plan, thinking not about how to adapt to the current environmental changes, but actively shaping the development trend in the next 5- 10 years.
Therefore, China's role is more like a "middleman", using his "contacts" with all parties to build a platform for peace talks and facilitate dialogue. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan have the same will, that is, to develop the economy, which is the basis for Pakistan and Afghanistan to abandon disputes and live in peace. The Belt and Road Initiative in China can greatly improve the economic level of the two places.
For this kind of "beauty, beauty and * * *", China, why not?
Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Afghan Foreign Minister Rabbani (left) and Pakistani Foreign Minister Asif (right)
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India is anxious.
In fact, India's opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is mainly due to its anxiety about the Belt and Road Initiative in China. After all, India, which regards South Asia and the Indian Ocean as its "back garden", does not want others to "get their hands on" its territory easily.
Let's take a look at the official position of India. In May this year, a spokesman for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the interconnection initiative must be based on recognized international norms, good governance, the rule of law, openness, transparency and equality, alluding to these problems in the "Belt and Road"; And openly oppose the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, saying that no country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns about sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Xie Gang, a famous Indian expert on China, said that the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China aims to build a global order with China as the center and China as the center. Now, as China promotes the construction of the Belt and Road, China will seize the Indian development space.
For example, this time, India is worried that the project will pass through Kashmir, which India considers to be its own. Indian media reported that India has been strongly opposed to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor through Kashmir, but China has always wanted to invite other countries to cooperate.
In this regard, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, "The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an economic cooperation project and should not be politicized. The corridor has nothing to do with existing disputes in the region, including territorial disputes, and should not have anything to do with it. "
China has been courting Indian "importune". "The purpose of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is not aimed at third parties, hoping to benefit third parties and the whole region and become an important driving force for regional integration."
Officials in China have repeatedly publicly explained that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a livelihood project, China has no intention to intervene in the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, and China's policy towards Kashmir has not changed. We can consider extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to India and connecting it with the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor and the North-South Economic Corridor of India. India's "Monsoon Project" and "Spice Road" can be connected with the "Belt and Road".
However, China's position seems to be unacceptable to the Indian. India is also a pioneer in boycotting China's Belt and Road Initiative.
For example, India, the United States, Japan and the United States recently boycotted the inclusion of the "Belt and Road" in UN resolutions. In fact, it was precisely because Modi visited Washington in June to seek American support for his position on the Belt and Road that US Secretary of State Tilson called the Belt and Road a "predatory economy".
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intolerable
India's boycott position also makes it somewhat embarrassed in regional multilateral organizations.
For example.
This year, in the joint statement of the 16th meeting of SCO member states held in Sochi, there was a clause saying that six countries, including the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Russian Federation, reiterated their support for the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China. It is worth noting that in the joint statement, among the eight full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, only India was excluded.
Now, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and many international institutions are seeking to join the construction of economic corridors directly or indirectly. 2065438+September 2006, Iranian President Rouhani directly asked Sharif to join the corridor (a week ago, Uncle Island happened to attend the second track meeting of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor jointly established by China, Pakistan and Iran).
With Afghanistan's accession, I believe that more and more countries and organizations will participate in the construction of the Belt and Road in the future. This trend, India, how should you face it?
Further reading
India has annexed hundreds of "small countries", but it is still fighting to the death because of a "hard bone". ...
On February 23rd and 24th, local time 10, smoke in Kashmir resumed, and India and Pakistan fought fiercely for several days, causing casualties.
On the evening of 24th, The Hindu called for reconciliation between India and Pakistan, saying that "it's time to break the ice".
However, how easy is it to "break the ice" after decades of grievances?
Three months ago, the Indian government released the latest data of India-Pakistan Kashmir border area, showing that in the past 27 years, 4 1000 people in Kashmir have died in the war-an average of 4 people have died in the war every day.
South Asia has become a veritable "powder keg", and the core of the conflict is Kashmir.
The root cause of Kashmir issue goes far beyond several decades. In fact, it is a difficult problem left over from the long historical process of South Asia and the numerous "mess" of India's partition.
Text | Xu Cong looked at the special historical observer of the think tank
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Hyderabad, the richest man in the world, was taken away by India!
Osman Ali Khan, this name may be unfamiliar to most people.
However, in the 1930s and 1940s, this gentleman was a world-famous figure:1On February 22nd, 937, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
Ali Han became the cover of Time magazine.
Why is his influence so great?
Because he was the "richest man in the world" at that time.
Ali has a lot of gold and jewels in his hand. It is said that all the jewels he owns can be connected to Piccadilly Circus in London.
He wrapped the diamond used as a paperweight in an old newspaper, which was heavier than the diamond in the crown of the king of England!
……
However, it would be naive to think that all these gold, silver and jewels belong to Ali Han-the rich man also owns a vast "country".
This land in the south-central part of the South Asian subcontinent is called Hyderabad, with a territory area of 2 13000 square kilometers, which is larger than the combined area of England and Scotland, and also larger than the actual control area of India and Pakistan in Kashmir.
Its location is very important. If Hyderabad is superimposed on today's map of India, we can find that it really grows in the "heart" of India;
Hyderabad has another feature: the ruling class represented by the monarch Alikhan is Muslim, but the vast majority of residents in the territory are Hindus.
Without it, India today would be a "hollow" territory.
India, which has just become independent, can't sit still: can others snore and sleep beside the sofa?
Therefore, India openly "demands" that Hyderabad and India "merge".
As a Muslim, Ali Han naturally refuses to accept it. He wants to remain independent and even join Pakistan.
Repeated "persuasion" failed, and India finally showed its fangs.
1948 September 13, Indian army directly invaded Hyderabad.
Alikhan's great wealth can't reverse the disparity of power between the two sides. After five days of resistance, Hyderabad's army was forced to surrender.
Hyderabad was annexed by India, and at this point, the territory of contemporary India was basically formed.
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India: One side of the sofa ...
Pakistan: Shut up! How can I always hear you snoring by my sofa? !
Hyderabad and the famous Kashmir are both called "Tubang".
India, Pakistan and other states were originally under the colonial rule of the British Empire.
When the British left, they agreed that India and Pakistan would be independent in the form of "partition", and each "local state" could choose to join India or Pakistan or choose independence.
Therefore, by the time India and Pakistan became independent, there were still nearly 600 indigenous countries in the South Asian subcontinent, of which more than 550 were in India.
But the plan given by the British is only a theoretical principle after all, and the realistic geographical factors play a greater role.
Many native states located in India and Pakistan have been "actively" merged into India or Pakistan.
Hyderabad and Kashmir, the two largest indigenous states in South Asia, are a few "diehards" who refuse to obey.
The ruler of Kashmir, Harry Singh, is a Hindu, but three quarters of its population is Muslim.
Pakistan will not turn a blind eye to India's crazy annexation of territory: your sofa won't let people sleep soundly, so can mine!
Kashmir is much more difficult for Pakistan than Hyderabad is for India.
Pakistan, eager to seize Kashmir, frightened the local monarch Singh, who chose to take the initiative to invest in India in exchange for Indian military support.
India is willing to "intervene". Neither India nor Pakistan gave in easily, and a protracted conflict broke out.
The biggest controversy in contemporary South Asia lies in this "last land power", which is a microcosm of the evil consequences caused by the unclear rules of land state disposal in India's partition plan.
The problem of Tubo did not appear at this time, but its history can be traced back to a further era. ...
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Where did Hyderabad, Kashmir, come from?
The Himalayas are separated by a mountain and two worlds.
China on this side of the mountain, since Qin unified the six countries, the concept of "great unification" has been deeply rooted in people's hearts. Although it has been divided by war and war in history, it must be unified in the end. This tradition lasted for more than 2000 years.
On the other side of the mountain, the South Asian subcontinent has been basically in a multinational state since ancient times, and it has never been truly unified, and there has never been a central dynasty that ruled the whole country, even during the unprecedentedly powerful Ashoka period.
Conquerors from Central Asia and Southwest Asia came to the Indian Plain again and again, and established numerous and varied feudal soil states.
This feature was even more prominent in the Mughal Empire before the invasion of European colonists.
The Mughal Empire is a new country established by Turkic Muslims and Mongols in the South Asian subcontinent, and it is the "sequel" of the Timur Mongolian Empire (Mughal is actually a transliteration of Mongolia). At the same time, it is the intersection of Islamic culture and Hindu culture.
Note: The Mughal Empire began at 1526 and ended at 1858, and ruled for 33 1 year. 1857, Bahadur, the last monarch of the Mughal Empire, took part in the anti-British uprising. After the defeat, he was exiled to Yangon, Myanmar by the British colonial authorities, and the last dynasty of India, the Mughal Dynasty, perished.
The Mughal Empire planted the seeds of the soil state problem for South Asia.
The Mughal Empire has been a confederate country since its establishment, and local governors enjoy great autonomy.
At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, emperors and generals could still rely on personal authority and strict laws to restrain local governments. Later, the monarch's control over the place gradually weakened, and princes or tribal leaders seized it by force, gradually transforming the territory that was originally based on military service and could not be inherited into hereditary feudal territory.
During the reign of the sixth emperor aurangzeb (1658- 1707), the territory of the Mughal Empire reached its peak, with the widest territory, including Afghanistan, Kashmir, Pakistan and most parts of India today.
However, this seemingly prosperous great empire is actually a foreign power but a hollow one-the war has greatly consumed the strength of the empire, and its long-term presence in southern operations has led to the weakening of aurangzeb's control over the north and big noble's self-reliance.
Aurangzeb pursued a policy of religious persecution and ordered heavy taxes on non-Muslims, which further aggravated the country's division.
When aurangzeb died, he left a divided empire.
/kloc-after the 0/8th century, the empire declined gradually, and provincial governors, local Islamic and Hindu feudal lords took the opportunity to support troops. It was at this time that Tubo kingdoms of different sizes were formed all over India.
As Marx commented:
"The supreme power of the Great Mughal was destroyed by his vassal, the power of the vassal was destroyed by the Malata people, and the power of the Malata people was destroyed by the Afghans; And when everyone was in such a melee, the British broke in and conquered them all. This is a country where not only Muslims and Hindus are opposed, but also tribes and castes are opposed. This is a society based on the balance of power caused by universal mutual exclusion and innate exclusiveness among all members. Is such a country and such a society destined to be the spoils of the conquerors? "
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"Two Indies" under Victoria Crown
1857, the mughal dynasty perished, and India officially entered the period of British colonial rule.
The British established the British "Indian Empire" on the territory of South Asia under their rule, and made "India", which was originally just a concept, concrete into a country.
This "country" is devastated: within the "frontier", there are actually nearly 600 separatist countries of different sizes.
Together, all the states covered an area of 5 million square miles, accounting for 45.3% of the total area of South Asia ruled by Britain, with a population of 86 million, accounting for 1/3 of the total population of the region at that time.
Many local governors warmly welcomed the arrival of the British, charged for the British on the battlefield, and kept their throne on the premise of recognizing the British monarch.
The local governors signed a treaty with the British Empire, confirming the above principles, accepting the monarch status of the British king and the Indian emperor, and agreeing that the deputy king (governor) controlled their diplomatic and national defense powers.
In exchange, Britain guarantees the autonomy of princes in internal affairs, and a powerful land country like Hyderabad also has its own currency, mint, railway and post office.
Note: 1858 After the establishment of the Indian Empire, the British Governor added the title of "Governor-General King". This unique title highlights the importance and particularity of India to the British Empire.
1877, Queen Victoria was crowned Queen of India.
So, in South Asia under British rule, there are actually "two Indies":
One is India, with Kolkata (1858-1911) and Delhi (191-kloc-0/947) as examples.
The other is India, which consists of 565 princes' feudal territories. It is called "Prince's Country", ruled by princes of various states, and manipulated by British colonists behind the scenes.
Until 1888, a senior British official in India said, "There is no India now, and there was never an India in the past. India has never even had a country in the eyes of Europeans, that is, a country with territorial, political, social and religious unity. Thinking that India can become a country is as whimsical as expecting European countries to be replaced by a single country in the future. "
Although both British India and Indian Tubang are headed by the British King, they are two different political entities. A country within a country may not be unusual, but it is a strange phenomenon that there are so many disconnected countries within a country.
Tubo governors have different titles, such as maharaja, lolo, mahalolo, navab and nycham.
Note: maharajas or maharajas are generally feudal lords of Hinduism or Sikhism;
Known as Navvab, he was originally the governor of the Mughal Empire in a larger province;
Known as Nizam, he was originally a provincial official appointed by the central government (and later became the chief executive with real power in the province).
Nawab and nizam are both Muslims.
The maharajas of Nizam, Hyderabad and Kashmir ruled territories and populations comparable to those of the largest countries in Europe. The maharaja of Katiawa Island, located on the coast of Oman, lives in a dilapidated stable, and the territory under his jurisdiction is only slightly larger than a county. The area of more than 400 native states does not exceed 30 square kilometers.
Nehru pointed out in the book The Discovery of India, "Among them, 15 can be considered as the main indigenous state. The largest are Hyderabad, Kashmir, Mysore, Travan Gore, Baroda, Gualol, Indore, Cochin, Jaipur, zod Poole, Bigarnier, Popolo and Yala. Followed by many medium-sized soil States, and finally hundreds of small areas, some of which are not as big as the tip of a needle on the map. Most of these small indigenous States are in Katie.