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Dalai Lama’s Visit:US-CHINA TIES UNAFFECTED,by Monish Tourangbam,23 February 2010 Print E-mail

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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