By Qamar Bashir
Former Press Secretary to the President
Former Press Minister to the Embassy of Pakistan to France
Former MD, SRBC
The death toll in Gaza is approaching the Zionist target of 14000 martyrs in place of 1400 Israelis killed, which is now abundantly clear that the majority of the Israelis were killed by Israeli airstrikes to get a pretext to decimate the Palestinian population, forcing them to migrate to other parts of the Arab world, paving the way for complete and final occupation of both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and to fulfil Jews’ dreams of cleansing their pure land from Arabs.
The entire Muslim world, Organization of Islamic Countries, Arab League, the United Nations, the Red Cross have tried their hardest to use all diplomatic channels available to stop Israel from committing genocide against the Palestinians. However, their combined power appeared to have no value, clout, or influence over Israel or the United States to stop this madness. Israel, despite being one of the smallest countries surrounded by Muslim countries, has grown so large and formidable that it has had the audacity and wherewithal to frustrate all attempts by the international community and rational people all over the world to stop Israel from unleashing terror, inhuman bombing, sulphur rain, and other forbidden weapons in Gaza while trampling human values and human rights with total impunity.
Frustrated and humiliated by the combined might of Israel and the United States, having lost faith in the United Nations and lacking confidence in their own clout, all Muslim countries have turned to China for intervention to stop Israel’s merciless assault on unarmed Palestinian civilians, destroying places of worship, hospitals, schools, civilian residential areas, and refugee camps.
This visit has many connotations, interpretations, and outcomes regardless of China’s appetite to intervene in this highly complex, sensitive, and dangerous conflict where any wrong move by any player will almost certainly attract the wrath of a trigger-happy US and its stooge Israel, which has long forgotten any sense of decency or respect for human lives other than its own.
This is the significance of China, which has been bestowed with the position of a superpower by virtue of its ability to counter or face off with the United States. If there had been another superpower, the Muslim may have knocked instead of China.
Why did Muslim countries not visit the UK is because it has been reduced to a puppet of the United States. They did not go to Russia, which has the mussels but is already overburdened with his standoff with Ukraine. With no other country in sight to say what needed to be said, Muslim countries were left with no alternative but to knock on China’s door in their final bid and last resort to save what little remained of Gaza and the West Bank.
China may be the only country that consistently maintains its position on a higher moral pedestal. It does not meddle in the internal affairs of other countries. In order to achieve its goals, it does not change the government of any country or replace one dictatorship with another. Throughout its history, even when the Chinese monarchy was among the most powerful in the world, it never colonised any territory or nation. On the other hand, it constructed a powerful wall to protect itself from outside assault.
Pakistan’s historical interactions with global powers have been marked by challenging experiences, with notable exceptions in its relationship with China. The bitter legacy includes the UK’s colonial rule over the Indian subcontinent, which encompassed the region Pakistan calls home.
Pakistan also felt the impact of the USSR’s hegemonic designs, especially during its presence in neighboring Afghanistan, a situation that directly affected Pakistan’s security. Furthermore, the U.S. involvement, from using Pakistan as a frontline state against the USSR during the Cold War to subsequent engagements against Taliban and Al Qaeda, has left lasting impacts. More recently, Pakistan experienced destabilization attributed to U.S. involvement in regime changes, impacting the nation profoundly. Throughout these encounters, Pakistan’s relationship with China stands out as a positive exception.
China’s stance toward Pakistan represents a departure from conventional power dynamics. Despite being a major global player with significant interests in Pakistan, China has refrained from manipulating its political landscape. This approach has been consistent, even during China’s challenging periods in the 1960s and 70s and its remarkable progress from the 1980s onwards.
China’s approach exhibits astute political acumen, displaying the capacity and adaptability to foster positive relations with various regimes, encompassing a wide political and military spectrum. This consistent approach extends comfort and ease across diverse political landscapes within Pakistan.
Throughout my four decades in the corridors of power, I witnessed our leaders facing substantial pressure and demands from the USA, consistently urging us to do more. The USA staunchly opposed the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and when we sought their aid in resolving our communication, infrastructure, and power issues, they declined outrightly, offering no solutions or assistance.
Contrastingly, when we turned to China with our challenges, it extended its support without any conditions or expectations. China came to our aid without hesitation, without posing any questions, and without attaching any strings, demonstrating a stark contrast in their approach compared to the USA.
In the context of the Hamas-Gaza conflict, while millions of people from the developing and developed worlds took to the streets to demand an end to Israeli massacres in Gaza and the West Bank, governments from the developed world stood with Israel and threatened any other country with dire consequences if it even considered military intervention. They provided open air, ground, and sea access to Israel, allowing it to launch strikes from every direction and slaughter children, women, the elderly, and youth with impunity. They rendered the United Nations, the World Health Organisation, the Red Cross, and other similar organisations obsolete and silent. They reduced all Muslim countries to a condition of helplessness, irritation, indignation, and silence as they saw their unarmed religious brothers and sisters viciously and brutally butchered and slaughtered for no fault or crime of their own.
Feeling insulted and humiliated, Muslim countries resorted to seeking Chinese intervention to end this quagmire in the same manner and approach that helpless and victimised countries used to seek the help of the superpower of the time to rescue them from the aggression and brutality of enemies stronger than them. In the eighth century, the Abbasid Caliphate partnered with Tang China to fight the threat posed by the Göktürks, a formidable nomadic confederation. The Ottoman Empire supported and protected Muslim populations across Europe, particularly in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, in the 15th and 16th centuries. Mohammad Bin Qasim liberated Msulims imprisoned by Raja Dahir of Sindh in 711 CE.
It is disheartening and shameful for the entire Muslim world that there is no longer a single Muslim country or Muslim leader in the world with the tenacity, resources, and courage to defend our Muslim brothers and sisters from the tyranny of Israel and its handlers, and they have finally knocked on the doors of China.
China made a statement in which it stated that the world must act quickly to end the crisis in Gaza and committed to step up its efforts to play a role in creating a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as its determination to firmly support justice and fairness. It demanded an immediate ceasefire and the distribution of relief supplies in the war zone.
Beijing amid its efforts to avert open confrontation with Washington and Israel and is struggling to maintain its status of a power broker in the region. Unlike the USA, which is doing all it can to fuel the war against humanity in Gaza, China adopted exactly the opposite path. It supported the peaceful resolution of conflict and firmly defended the legitimate rights and interests of Arab and Muslim countries and firmly stood with the Palestinian people in their efforts to restore their legitimate national rights and interests.
China was the main motivation when the UN passed its first resolution calling release of hostages and extended humanitarian corridors to protect civilians. The peace diplomacy led by China has given it the status of civilised and humane super power while USA and Israel have been branded as brute force and senseless force which are bent upon inflicting untold miseries to the helpless civilians of Gaza and west bank.
With China’s emerging status as a responsible state that seeks not to wage war but to lift people from all around the world out of poverty. China, despite its overwhelming economic, financial, and military might, does not threaten any country and instead prefers peaceful resolution of crises. China, which is willingly and happily sharing the fruits of its prosperity and growth with all countries of the world without any strings attached while maintaining the dignity, honour, and respect of recipient countries, possesses all of the ingredients to assure global leadership and lead the world to shared prosperity and growth. It is playing a critical role in restoring some semblance of humanity to the Hamas-Israel dispute and will hopefully continue to play a pacifying role in resolving the issues and conflict through peaceful ways free of threats, arm twisting, and coercion.
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