Writer is Central Secretary Information PTI, Digital Strategist & Serial entrepreneur.
- A small town called Daulat Beg (DB) in India is the centre of attention. India had a small military base, perhaps a battalion in DB since long. The critical factor about DB is that it is only 8 miles from the Karakorum Pass which can provide access to Gilgit.
- In the last one year or so, India has upgraded the base to brigade level by connecting it to the internal road network. This is a crucial development having grave consequences for Pakistan and CPEC.
- Indians constructed a road Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg in October last year with the sole purpose of supplying the DB Brigade.
- Chinese made a brilliant move without firing a single shot in the last couple of weeks, and landed 5,000 troops inside Galwan Valley. The western ridge of the valley now occupied by Chinese effectively covers the newly constructed Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Road. Now that the road is threatened, there is no other supply route to DB, except by air.
- Galwan is a tight valley, and once inside it the Chinese have sealed the mouth of the Valley. This has put Indians in a very serious dilemma as it is militarily very difficult to remove the strong Chinese presence with out escalating the international tension.
6, Important to note is that the Galwan Valley is well inside the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the Indian side but Indians are not making any hue and cry for the time being. Strategic value of Galwan Valley can be well understood in the present situation.
- With control over the supply road lost to the Chinese, the significance of the DB Brigade has now been effectively reduced to negligible. This is a very positive development to secure CPEC. This has far reaching consequences to the advantage of China and Pakistan.
8.China waited 56 years to take this strategically vital action! Why? Because only an economically strong country can afford wars & confrontations. Japan and Germany, the most aggressive war machines of Second World War, do not have a single incident of war or confrontation for 74 years. They realised that winning global race is through strong economies. West Germany conquered East Germany with the power of economy and it was conquered without firing a single shot. China took over Hong Kong peacefully.
9.Japan placed all its conflicts with Russia, Korea, China in diplomatic corridors and never waged any misadventure. South Korea sustained a peaceful border with North Korea despite hawkish posture of North Korea. It’s writing on the wall that one day North Korea will fall in the lap of South Korea just like East Germany. Taiwan will also become part of China in next 10 years when China will be the only super power of world.
10.We must learn from China, Japan, Germany and South Korea how to win over your enemies through the power of strong economy & political stability.
In entire history of china, despite one of the strongest empires and with highest GDP, at one point during Han and Tung dynasties, China has never exhibited expansionist designs. Chinese dynasties never attempted to conquer the world like Alexander the Great, Ottoman Empire, British Empire or Roman Empire and in present day, like USA. China believes in Walls whether it is Great Wall of China or today’s digital wall of China which stops any digital media to enter China. China is always inward looking and working on internal peace, prosperity and strength.
OBOR (One Belt One Road)is China’s way of conquering world in a peaceful manner. China is showing the world that its not always bloodshed which is needed to conquer global space. China is conquering world by connecting with them with projects like OBOR (One Belt, One Road). CPEC is first phase of OBOR. India and USA felt threatened with OBOR and especially CPEC and were planning how to sabotage the plan. China showed to them, that if China can conceive projects like OBOR and CPEC, they also know how to preserve them.
Pakistan due to its strategic location is the natural beneficiary of Chinese plan of global connectivity.
However, Pakistan must not only find and feel glory while basking in the glory of China, but must develop plans to safeguard its boundaries against economic and security threats. We must move away from a culture where we tend to define our victory in somebody else’s victory or we find victory in somebody’s defeat. We must find our identity, our goals, our plans and our ideas. One day we will find our own victory.
