In International Relationship
In International Relationship
China has a number of territorial disputes currently going on with its neighboring states. One of the most significant of those is a dispute with India over Aksai Chin. Aksai Chin is a territory of approximately 38.000 sq. km., which is located on the Tibetan Plateau, namely in its northwestern region. It lies directly to the south of the western part of the Kunlun mountain range. Aksai Chin is a barren plateau that was part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir (Richards 2015). However, as of now, it has been administered by the Chinese since the 1962 Sino-Indian Border conflict. One of the main causes of that war was India’s discovery of a road China built through the region, which India believed to be its territory (Richards 2015). China considers this land to be a part of the Hotan County situated in the Hotan Prefecture belonging to Autonomous Region of Xinjiang. India is of entirely different opinion on the matter: according to it, Aksai Chin belongs to the District of Ladakh in its state of Jammu and Kashmir (Richards 2015). However, despite their disagreements, both countries have pledged to safeguard the Line of Actual Control, a demarcation line that serves to separate the Indian and Chinese territories from one another.
China prefers to stay out of military alliances or agreements. Instead, it prefers to build strong relationships based on mutual financial and business interests. Which is why, one cannot consider North Korea, for instance, to be China’s ally, especially not after North Korea’s so-called “hydrogen” bomb test, which China has every reason to perceive to be an insult to its authority. North Korea might believe China to be its ally, as China is formally bound to defend it by a bilateral security treaty, yet currently this alliance seems shaky at best. Currently, China supports international sanctions against North Korea and condemns its actions. However, it is no rush to cause an economic collapse of its smaller neighbor, which it could easily do, because the fall of Kim Jong-un’s regime would result in more problems than advantages for China itself. Therefore, China continues to support Pyongyang, not so much as an ally and an equal, but more as a useful strategic asset. When it comes to allies, one could say that Pakistan is much more of an ally to China than North Korea is or will ever be (Rosen 2016). At the moment, Chinese-Pakistani relations enjoy a period of mutually beneficial cooperation, in many areas, including energy, infrastructure (the latest bilateral deal was signed in April 2015), military (China assisted Pakistan greatly in accumulating its military potential), trade, and economy (Rosen 2016). In return, in Pakistan China gained an effective counterbalance to India, its principal rival in the region.
Most of China’s wealthiest provinces are all located in the coastal region. For instance, Zhejiang Province has a GDP of 3.7 trillion Yuan and is ranked fourth among the richest provinces of China. What is peculiar about this particular province is that it managed to create its own development model, which was called the “Zhejiang model” (“The China Perspective”, 2013). This economic model focused on supporting small businesses, investing in infrastructure, prioritizing entrepreneurship, and producing mass amounts of low-cost goods aimed at export. All these efforts resulted in the rapid rise of Zhejiang, and now the “Zhejiang spirit” is considered to be an example for the rest of the country (“The China Perspective”, 2013). On the other hand, Guizhou is one of China’s poorest provinces and it is indeed located in its hinterland, namely in the southwestern part. Its GDP per capita is the lowest in China (3.100 USD). It is significantly underdeveloped due to the lack of investment in it, as opposed to the coastal provinces, and its distance from the sea trade routes.
References
Richards, Katherine. (2015). “China-India: An analysis of the Himalayan territorial dispute”.
Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
Rosen, Armin. (2016). “China has only one real ally”. Business Insider. Retrieved March 4,
2016.
“China Economy @ China Perspective”. (2013). The China Perspective. Retrieved March 4,
2016.
