M K Shukla
The more China tries to extricate itself, the more it gets caught in the web of its own making. The desire to project itself as a big power, without discharging the responsibilities that go with it, is damaging its reputation worldwide and weakening its influence. Take two recent instances: one of its imperialistic incursions into the South China Sea, grabbing the reefs and islets claimed by various littoral states in the region; and the second of quietly encouraging its impoverished neighbour North Korea to indulge in menacing postures against South Korea, Japan, and the US.
On Tuesday, China expressed anger after foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies said they strongly opposed provocation in the East and South China Seas, where China is locked in territorial disputes. "We urge the G7 member states to honour their commitment of not taking sides on issues involving territorial disputes," China's foreign ministry said in a statement. The G7 should focus on global economic governance and cooperation against the backdrop of weak economic growth rather than hyping up disputes and provoking problems, it added.
On Monday, G7 foreign ministers said after meeting in the Japanese city of Hiroshima that they opposed "any intimidating coercive or provocative unilateral actions that could alter the status quo and increase tensions" in the East and South China Seas.
North Korea, whom China once took for granted, has now started functioning independently. Ahead of a rare ruling party Congress next month, Pyongyang has decided to disclose details of its weapons development programme for the first time, showcasing its push to develop long-range nuclear missiles despite international sanctions.
Until recently, information on the North's weapons programme was hard to come by. Foreign governments and experts relied heavily on satellite imagery, tiny samples of atomic particles collected after nuclear tests and mangled parts and materials recovered from long-range rocket launches to figure out the military might of the Northeast Asian nations.
No longer. In just over a month, the North has published articles with technicolour photographic detail on a range of tests and other activities that point to fast-paced efforts to build a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The reason for the revelations is simple: once you have power, it's necessary to convince the world that you have power, lest ...And if North Korea leverages its power to make a deal with the G-7 countries, particularly the US and Japan, China would find a veritable foe sitting over its head.
Readers' Choice
The Bengal Fracture: How BJP Scripts Making Mamata Politically Redundant
FIR lodged against ex-Rera chief Baldi on former CS Gupta’s complaint
L K Atheeq appointed Financial Advisor to Karnataka CM; T G Nath Add CS
Former Himachal Pradesh CS Appointed Chairperson of PSERC
K K Pant gets additional charge of Himachal Chief Secretary
China ties itself into knots as it shows off its muscles
By IndianMandarins - 2016-04-13 10:44:24
M K Shukla
The more China tries to extricate itself, the more it gets caught in the web of its own making. The desire to project itself as a big power, without discharging the responsibilities that go with it, is damaging its reputation worldwide and weakening its influence. Take two recent instances: one of its imperialistic incursions into the South China Sea, grabbing the reefs and islets claimed by various littoral states in the region; and the second of quietly encouraging its impoverished neighbour North Korea to indulge in menacing postures against South Korea, Japan, and the US.
On Tuesday, China expressed anger after foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies said they strongly opposed provocation in the East and South China Seas, where China is locked in territorial disputes. "We urge the G7 member states to honour their commitment of not taking sides on issues involving territorial disputes," China's foreign ministry said in a statement. The G7 should focus on global economic governance and cooperation against the backdrop of weak economic growth rather than hyping up disputes and provoking problems, it added.
On Monday, G7 foreign ministers said after meeting in the Japanese city of Hiroshima that they opposed "any intimidating coercive or provocative unilateral actions that could alter the status quo and increase tensions" in the East and South China Seas.
North Korea, whom China once took for granted, has now started functioning independently. Ahead of a rare ruling party Congress next month, Pyongyang has decided to disclose details of its weapons development programme for the first time, showcasing its push to develop long-range nuclear missiles despite international sanctions.
Until recently, information on the North's weapons programme was hard to come by. Foreign governments and experts relied heavily on satellite imagery, tiny samples of atomic particles collected after nuclear tests and mangled parts and materials recovered from long-range rocket launches to figure out the military might of the Northeast Asian nations.
No longer. In just over a month, the North has published articles with technicolour photographic detail on a range of tests and other activities that point to fast-paced efforts to build a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The reason for the revelations is simple: once you have power, it's necessary to convince the world that you have power, lest ...And if North Korea leverages its power to make a deal with the G-7 countries, particularly the US and Japan, China would find a veritable foe sitting over its head.
