But didn't China just roll right over Tibet? It started with them building roads through the mountain passes to access Tibet.
We supported the Chinese in doing so, as that created a major headache for India! As well as brought our Pakistani and Chinese borders even closer. Also, we couldn't exactly go to Tibet to spy on India, (they didn't allow us). But now that they are part of China - I as a Pakistani citizen have no trouble going there, (if I desired to). Funny thing by the way, Nepal too (just a while ago) started claiming territory from India also, (after the visits from both Pakistani and Chinese Foreign Ministers). All I know is that there are a lot of gemstones and other precious metals in these mountains as well. So when Nepal takes back their territory from India also - I will visit that area too, for prospecting! By the way, Tibet was never a formidable military power armed with nuclear weapons... This actually is why US didn't roll over Pakistan after 9/11. So instead Iraq and Afghanistan paid the price. And China never entered into any type of a joint defence pact with Tibet either. And neither was there any joint production of weapons deal signed. While Pakistan and China are regularly and jointly making ships, tanks, and aircraft. Which of course creates more jobs, keeps the economy going - But more importantly, this causes a downstream effect, where civilian sector also benefits from, (in technology and infrastructure). Tibet was never extended this privilege of joint production. Never encouraged to become self-sufficient... Anyway, USA unselfishly came to UK's aid during World War 2. And immediately afterwards, thanks to the Marshall Plan, rebuilt all of UK also, (with American tax payers money) - Otherwise Adolf Hitler had nearly bombed UK back into the stone age... So if I remember my history correctly, USA didn't roll over UK, or France for that matter. In fact soon afterwards, NATO was created, and joint production of weapons and other hardware got started, (against the next greatest threat, which was the Soviet Union)... Therefore why should this Pakistan and China friendship and alliance against India and other irritants be any different???
I guess I just don't trust China but I really can't say I have much knowledge about the country. They have been terrible to their Muslim minority.... Doesn't that bother you?
Well, when Bangladesh (a Muslim nation) was East Pakistan, they say that we West Pakistanis mercilessly killed 2.5 million of their Bangali people... We say they were all traitors, they say those were their freedom fighters. What is the reality? Well, that too will require a highly detailed answer - Which I honestly haven't got the energy to for right now. As for China being terrible to their Muslim population. Well, I seriously doubt if they had mercilessly killed 2.5 million... Wait, what did you just ask about? Don't know why but your last question seems to have mysteriously vanished from my display. And for some unknown reason, I can't recall it anymore. It was something to do with some little known isolated ethnic group in... I can't even recall the country anymore. By the way, all of Afghanistan is Muslim too. But did Pakistan even move a finger in protest to whatever USA was and still is doing there? Anyway just for the sake of general knowledge, Afghanistan was the only country in the entire world, which diplomatically opposed the creation of Pakistan in 1947, (before the United Nations even existed). So whatever then later kept happening in Afghanistan afterwards - Well, you can read between the lines why... By the way, Afghanistan too has some excellent gemstones and other rare Earth minerals. And also for general knowledge, some Palestinians still accuse our late President General Zia-ul-Haq (when he was serving in an advisory capacity to King Hussein in Jordan) - Of ordering the killings of many Palestinian people also. So I guess I will now fall back on my earlier statement in this thread - Pakistani people, and Pakistan as a nation itself, is perhaps the most unpredictable in the entire universe. And so impossible to govern, and unthinkable to conquer. Just when everyone thinks they know all that there is to know about how we operate, and thus be able to predict our next move - We surprise everyone again, and again, and again... All jokes aside, this is how we have learned to survive, and not only that, but thrive! Shouldn't be surprising, as exactly like Israel - We too have only been surrounded by enemies since day one.
Laos is allowing China to build a lot of infrastructure.... Going into debt in the process. Owing China. I think China now has control of Loas's national power grid. ? Is this good? I guess Laos needs the help.
I have enjoyed the educational nature of the above posts. Thank you @S-H for an enjoyably balanced and clear minded expression of life far removed from me. My latest experiences on that side of the globe are through individuals that make me appreciate the high character of your words. I do believe I would buy your book should you chooseto publish one before you leave us without your clarity of mind.
China hates the outside world, (there is no question about that in anyone's mind). And they very jealously guard their territory now, (they remember losing Hong Kong to the British for a 10 decades as the "period of the 100 years of insult"). So now their policy is to create buffer states between them and the outside world. Therefore Laos can potentially get in the compromising position, should they now ever try to do anything against China's wishes - It is the price such countries have to pay, who aren't self-sufficient in most things... That's the difference between partnership, and enslavement. Between joint production, or just getting a handout. So in case of Pakistan, the policy and treatment is completely different. Because we have stood the test of time. Because the same international sanctions which were put on Iraq - Pakistan was a victim of these too. Yet nobody over here remembers any such period of hardship. Because we grow our own food, (Pakistan has the world's largest irrigation system). Our pharmaceutical industry too is a giant - Which is why (unlike Iraq) nobody was starving here, and no one died in hospitals due to lack of medication. So Pakistan and China's partnership is exactly like that of USA and UK. Actually our friendship dates back to BC times, across the Himalayan mountains. Also, taking the last 75 years as proof, it is very clearly established. That nuclear powers treat each other differently. Because that is the "big boy's club"... So they fight each other by proxy only. Take for example how USA and USSR never went to war directly. But the Vietnam and Korean wars are all historic evidence, how the superpowers still fought against each other. But by proxy - This is why China is creating buffer states around it's borders. And so partnership between nuclear allies is different as well. Therefore again I will give the example of US and UK, to illustrate Pakistan and China's joint cooperation. So where Laos will now have it's national power grid in Chin's control, (putting China in a position to dictate terms to them in the future) - Pakistan on the other hand is jointly constructing not 1 but 2 new super giant nuclear reactors. Right on the outskirts of Karachi city, (where I am). https://www.google.com/maps/@24.8515572,66.7751661,17z/data=!3m1!1e3 Both these nuclear reactors will give 1.1 gigawatt output of power each, (2.2 gigawatts total) - No reactor this big exists anywhere in the United States. Only 3 are being built in the world at the same time. 1 in China, and 2 in Pakistan. But it's not just nuclear power, we are together creating history when it comes to renewable energy also. Take for example this giant wind energy farm jointly built in Southern Pakistan. Or this solar energy park, what too is the largest in the world! So this is the difference between a joint production and partnership, which Pakistan and China have been doing. And what China does with other countries, (who aren't equal partners). So Laos didn't get any of this, did they? Think of it as how USA treats UK and other European allies, (with respect), in comparison to how USA poorly treats Mexico and other South American countries, (which actually are culturally and geographically closer to the United States)... Another thing worth mentioning, is that everyone (specially in Asia) will forever remember how the World Bank and the IMF, (International Monetary Fund) - Went out of it's way to completely destroy the economies of Brazil, Argentina, and Indonesia in particular (during the 1990s). See the Indonesian currency collapse. https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveh...-indonesian-rupiah-deja-vu-1998/#4f05e7dc6eee Around 4 year after this, East Timor became an independent nation, (breaking away from the federation of Indonesia). We recently witnessed this exact same game being played by Western powers - When Sudan got split in 2. So like Indonesia, that too is, (was), another Muslim majority country. With great strategic location and unbelievable potential - Which was made an example out of again. Same would have happened with Pakistan too, without any doubt. But we fooled everyone, (giving the impression that we weren't even worth taking an interest in). Anyhow during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Western powers had no choice but to turn a blind eye towards Pakistan's secret nuclear weapons program. Because they needed Pakistan's help when it came to shipping arms into Afghanistan. Enabling the Mujahideen to fight the Russian invaders, (which they very successfully did. Please see this movie, (or read the book), named Charlie Wilson's War. This was the time, during which Pakistan secretly achieved it's full nuclear potential. After which, no one is able to touch us. This is also why we just had to have the nuclear option too. Or else, had Afghanistan fallen to the Soviet Union - They next would have invaded Pakistan. And after Pakistan, all the oil fields and every country in Middle East would also have falling to the Soviets one by one. Which would have without any doubt started World War 3 by the early 90s... But Pakistan becoming a nuclear weapons state, just in the nick of time, probably altered world history. So now take for example the fact that Osama Bin Ladin, who was (allegedly) eventually discovered in Pakistan. Yet Afghanistan and Iraq got smashed to bits. All the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi Arabian nationals. But not a single bomb was dropped on Saudi territory. Why was that? Simply because Pakistan is now a nuclear weapons state, (time to destroy Pakistan was in the early 80s), but now it's impossible. And US actually owes a lot of money to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also, (as America buys oil from them)... So I guess this also now makes Pakistan - "The one which got away" type of a slippery fish! Anyway after the example of Indonesia and now Sudan, in all of Asia and now in Africa too, there is an extreme distrust of Western governments and organizations, (as well as capitalist ideas). Therefore China is simply exploiting this to their advantage. By offering slightly more favorable terms in comparison - Which is why the future now belongs to them, and to Pakistan as well. 80s was indeed a great time. And everybody here in Pakistan thought that now USA and Pakistan will be friends forever, (as we partnered together in bringing the Soviets to their knees)! However Chinese diplomats at the time said no, don't be fooled, US is only using you. We have experience with them, so we know how they always behave. Just wait until they don't need you anymore. Then we will see, and you also will learn, like we too once did in the past, (the Chinese diplomats privately told Pakistan). So immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, USA put very harsh International sanctions on Pakistan, making everyone over here feel very badly betrayed by US... Therefore this too is another reason why Pakistan and China friendship became even stronger. At least we (Pakistan and China) had a common enemy, India... Here is a funny Chinese cartoon, (with English subtitles), about how Pakistan China friendship started in modern times - Very educational when it comes to teaching history to children. China is the rabbit, India is the elephant, while Pakistan is the goat. By the way, this region over which Pakistan, India, and China are fighting - It's extremely rich in minerals and gemstones!
Thanks but writing books (and getting published) is something my late paternal grandfather indulged in as a hobby. He was one of the people who were instrumental in the creation of Pakistan. http://www.indpaedia.com/ind/index.php/Mumtaz_Hasan There is a street in Karachi city named after him. https://www.google.com/maps/@24.8483484,66.999948,20z/data=!3m1!1e3 So writing books was his side passion, which my sister inherited. Where I am just an internet troll, who thrives on stirring the pot...
Wait a minute, I almost forget that the same thing. Of breaking a nation into 2 or more parts by separatists, (so called leftist "intellectuals" today) - Which was very successfully tried on Indonesia and now recently on Sudan. Had already been tried on Pakistan FIRST - Creation of Bangladesh, (which until 1971 was East Pakistan)... The motivational force behind all such revolutions is of course, greed. Mostly about natural resources and minerals buried beneath the surface of your land. This is also how European settlers first fought against the native Americans, taking their land away from them by force. And so today the end result is that natives are just a tiny minority over their reservations... So hypothetically speaking, if for example say some states of the USA now wanted to break free from the US federation - And any other outside force tried to secretly assist them. Then would United States take it without firing a single shot? Unthinkable, right? But then why is the West always trying to break up other nations??? Specially those countries which have a Muslim majority population? Answer is again the same - Greed for natural resources. Like oil, gas, other minerals, rare Earth metals, and obviously gemstones... And the best, easiest, and time tested way to get at this wealth, is to - Divide and conquer! But China of course is now the bad guy, simply because they not only want to safeguard their own territory - But also desire to take back what was unfairly stolen from them in the past. So regarding this, another thing comes to my mind - East and West Germany got united, and the entire world danced with joy. But when China got Hong Kong back, almost everybody was in tears... Why is that, I keep wondering now??? Gemstones... It's all about gemstones in the end! And gold. Plus oil and gas too. As well as rare Earth metals - Without which we can't have these beautiful touchscreen smartphones we today can't live without.
S-H, what are your thoughts on China's treatment of the Rohingya? Why is this minority group such a potential threat to the Chinese govt?
I honestly don't know anything about the Chinese having any issue with the Rohingya people... From what I know, Maynmar (Burma) has an issue. Rohingya are a Muslim minority, which the Buddhist majority over there doesn't get along with. They are actually Bangali people, from what is now Bangladesh. Who had encroached into Bruma long ago, when no one was looking, (before the time when even passports were invented)... Rohingya say that this land was always theirs. But the Burmese say - Really? Then are we blind? Because our maps tell a difference story. So basically it's an internal issue of Maynmar, (Burma). It's the same identical issue when Mexicans say that at least half of the United States was their land once. So why shouldn't they just walk across the border without any passport or visa? Because they never crossed any border - The border crossed them! United States however says, that this is just asking for a bit too much... Yes there have been protests here and there. About how poorly the Burmese are treating the Rohingya people. But officially Pakistan's diplomatic relations with Maynmar are good. In fact Pakistan recently made a lot of money selling FJ-17 Thunder fighter jets to them, (the same combat aircraft Pakistan and China produced jointly). https://propakistani.pk/2019/10/15/...le-jf-17-thunder-jets-to-myanmar-and-nigeria/ Maynmar later used these same aircraft to bomb Rohingya settlements - But what do we care? Because that's actually an internal matter of Burma... Besides, you know how it always is, business is business. Yes, we've learned to do this from the best! By the way, Burma is known to have some of the best (and so most costly) rubies and sapphires in the entire world!!! And the Rohingya people know exactly where they are mined - So little more now needs to be explained about the real issue behind this conflict...
Ahhh. Once upon a time the glitter of jewelry got into my minds eye. As I lost money, I learned among other things that Rubies at the highest levels are more valuable per carat than Diamonds.
Here is a video of what kind of gemstones are mined and sold in Pakistan. And this video I made myself, of the annual Gems & Jewelery exhibition - When I uploaded this video 7 years ago, access to the gemstone rich area of Pakistan wasn't easy. But now new roads are being built everywhere!
