Round The World
New
Delhi, 23 February 2010
Dalai Lama’s Visit
US-CHINA TIES UNAFFECTED
By Monish Tourangbam
Research Scholar, School of International
Studies, JNU
Recently, there have been more than
adequate media spotlight on the strained relationship between the United States and China. The two countries have been
sparring on various issues, ranging from internet censorship, human rights, US arms sale to Taiwan and over the contentious
issue of currency rates. President’s Barack Obama’s visit to Beijing last year created much bonhomie,
giving some sleepless nights to Indian strategic circles. But the difference of
perspectives and policy that surround Sino-American relations are here to stay.
Apart from the aforementioned
issues, the US and China have
serious differences over the diffusion of the North Korean and Iranian nuclear
issue. Now, add to this the US President’s recent meeting with the Tibetan
exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and we have a picture-perfect recipe
highlighting the cracks widening in US-China relations.
Though America
does not refute that Tibet
is a part of China,
it nevertheless supports the integrity and ethos of the non-violent and
pro-democracy struggle being led by the Dalai Lama. But, the Chinese government
on the other hand, sees the Dalai Lama, as a trouble-maker and a separatist
leader ought to negate China’s
sovereignty and split its unity. As such, Beijing
has been very categorical and adamant in objecting to any US President
meeting the Tibetan leader. It regards it as an official support to the Tibetan
separatist movement and has time and again threatened that such a gesture would
be seen as directed against the sovereignty of China and would invite serious
repercussions.
Now, the big question is: Would the meeting
between President Obama and the Dalai Lama necessarily destabilize US-China
relations? The answer: “Not really”. Chinese outrages against any American
overture towards the Tibetan leader and corresponding American denial of
Chinese threats and pressures has become too characteristic of the bilateral
relationship. President Obama knew that a meeting with the Dalai Lama is an
important menu in the itinerary of America’s commitment to human right
issues.
He has already procrastinated on the
quite imminent meeting. Ahead of his last year visit to China; the US President had reportedly
persuaded Tibetan representatives then to postpone the meeting with the Dalai
Lama. This time around, Obama exactly knew what he was up to. The reaction was
swift with the Chinese Foreign Ministry saying, “The US act
grossly violated the norms governing international relations.” According to the
Chinese government, the meeting contradicted US commitments to recognize China’s sovereignty over Tibet and
refrain from supporting separatist forces. But these allegations are not new. The Dalai Lama has met with every US president
since George H.W. Bush in 1991 and these meetings attracted
ire from the Chinese government.
So, there is no reason to expect
that the recent niceties provided to the Dalai Lama by the Obama Administration
are going to seriously rock the boat of Sino-American bilateral relations. It
is true that the controversy has come at a wrong time when the relationship is
already strained over a number of issues, but then US-China relations have
never been easy, and not very friendly either. The relationship can rather be
characterized as a marriage of convenience and has withstood a number of more
volatile differences.
The symbolic welcome and respect
given to the preservation of Tibet’s
cultural identity and the protection of their human rights cannot, in practical
estimates, derail the highly entrenched US-China relations. Talking of
estimates and statistics, the economic linkages is tightly knit by $366 billion
worth of mutual trade and $755 billion in Chinese-held US Treasury bills. As
such, the rhetoric and aggressive statements have become routine fodder given
to the media and stand no chances of drastically impacting the course of the
relationship. In fact, the absence of such aggression from the Chinese
government and the failure of the US government to bypass them would make
them look out of character.
The Obama administration has had a
tough time dealing with the Chinese side, especially after the US plan to sell arms worth $ 6.4 billion to Taiwan and China’s rebuff of President Obama’s
call to strengthen the Chinese currency. The US establishment was quite aware
and cautious of what was in store after the Dalai Lama-Obama meeting and as
such, the whole programme was designed to tone down the official significance
of the proceedings, and lend a more casual feel. The US President met with the Tibetan
spiritual leader in the Map Room, which is part of the residence at the White
House, and not in the Oval Office. The economics of the US-China relationship
has always overshadowed all other issues and the near future will be no
different.
American responses to human rights
violations in the Chinese mainland have been lukewarm at best, and have never
really threatened to jeopardize the larger political and economic linkages. The
Tibetan spiritual leader seemed content after the meeting and commented that he
wasn’t frustrated about the pace of progress for autonomy in Tibet. Asked
how Obama can help Tibet,
the Dalai Lama said, “time will tell.”Many analysts are of the opinion that the
bilateral ties will sustain the current differences.
It is worthwhile remembering that
amid all the ticklish issues that now surround the relationship, the
USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and four other U.S. warships recently anchored in
Hong Kong, where more than 5,000 sailors will get shore leave. In 2007, China had
prevented the USS Kitty Hawk from visiting the city, showing Chinese
displeasure at President George W. Bush meeting the Dalai Lama and presenting
him with the Congressional Gold Medal. Although Beijing belatedly approved the
port-call, the fleet had already turned back. The point is that both the
countries cannot afford to lose the track and jeopardize the economic symbiosis
that exists.
According
to Douglas Paal of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, “U.S. exports are zooming to China.
It's the largest export market for the U.S. -- largest growing export market
for the U.S. It grew 65 per cent this past year alone." In spite of
disagreements about the Dalai Lama and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, neither China
nor the US, Paal says, can afford a major falling out. As per a recently-conducted
national CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, nearly three-quarters of all
Americans think Tibet should be an independent country. But at the same time,
the poll indicates that most Americans think it is more important to maintain
good relations with China than to take a stand on Tibet.
Visits
of the Dalai Lama are always under the Chinese government’s scanner and they
have a perpetual displeasure towards other countries receiving the exiled
leader. Though, any reception given to the Dalai Lama often ignites heated
diplomatic rhetoric, it has seldom led to the Chinese government jeopardizing
its economic interest. In the final analysis, it is business as usual in US-China
relations and one should not read too much into the implications of President
Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama. The diplomatic rhetoric and the heated
exchange of statements are rather routine affair to keep dissenting voices in
control.—INFA
(Copyright, India News and
Feature Alliance)
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