China uses veto power in destroying Modi`s dream
-Dr. Rahul Kumar*, Ph.D.-
(Samaj Weekly)- For the last ten years, blind followers in India and abroad have been claiming that India`s global image under Modi`s leadership is heightened. It is further claimed that the world leaders are giving more importance to India than the previous years. Blind followers also propagate that China is trembling on hearing the name of Modi. It is nothing but a fake narrative being created by blind followers through social media. In the last ten years, India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to become a permanent member of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) but failed. Let the readers understand why and who is primarily responsible for not allowing India to become a permanent member of United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Before I discuss in details, I would take my readers a few years back. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ruled Gujarat for 15 years consistently and had no experience and knowledge of international affairs. From his track record, it seems that he is completely depending upon few bureaucrats and diplomats like Dr. S Jai Shankar, Indian Minister for Foreign Affairs. After retirement, Dr Shanker got extension despite several failures at the international level. Dr. Shankar`s diplomacy could not win over neither the leaders of western countries nor China. At several international forum, Dr. Shanker is found criticizing western countries and kept on praising the USA and Russia. Incompetent Dr. Shanker could not make out that the support of western nations is as essential as to become a permanent member of UNSC.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) came into existence in 24 October, 1945 having headquarters in New York. It has five permanent members viz USA, Russia, Britain, China and France. The blind followers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi still propagate that India under Modi is a great global power and should receive the designation of a permanent seat of the security council. It is not like that. Spinning Charka with Xi Jinping does not mean that Modi- Jinping are good friends.
In previous decades, the United States of America, Britain, Russia, and France supported India to assume a permanent seat in the security council but China destroyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s dream by using a veto power. After the Galwan Valley clash between India and China on 15 June,2020, Modi`s so called best friend Xi Jinping, President of the people`s republic of China has taken a tough stand against India and continuously blocking India at the UNSC. China is not only blocking India`s dream but also creating a vast clout in Western Balkans, West Asia and South Asia through investment and trade.
Since 2011, China invested roughly $1billion in the Western Balkans annually. Since Xi Jinping came to power in 2013, the PRC has signed over $100 billion in investments on contracts in South Asia – nearly half of that in Pakistan through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India lacks initiatives in promoting regional cooperation in South Asia even. It is unfortunate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dr. S. Jai Shankar do not see India as a world power. Both of them are seeing through the prism of religion.
In August,2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi after assuming office paid a visit to Nepal. He began his address by chanting “Jay Siya Ram” slogan three times. As India`s neighbourhood first policy, he announced Rs.100 crore package for the development of Janakpur[1] and its surrounding areas. Unaware of international affairs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not make out that diplomacy does not run on the basis of religion. There are several players in international affairs & diplomacy. Despite five official visits to Nepal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014, Nepal sided with China. China has committed the largest volume of FDI received by Nepal with investment pledges of 22.5 billion Nepalese rupees (188 million US). According to a report by the UK-based Telegraph, Chinese allegedly began seizing Nepali land in five frontier districts in May, sending members of its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) across undefended areas of the border.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed same mistake while inaugurating BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi (UAE) and spoke in Arabic language eulogising the bilateral relations between India-UAE as he committed in Nepal. In 2022, the total stock of FDI from China in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached around 11.88 billion U.S. dollars. India in comparison to China is hardly investing funds in UAE but the UAE is mulling an investment of up to $50 billion in India as second largest trading partner. About 20% of offshore Dubai real estate is owned by investors from India Dubai and the United Arab Emirates are often considered secrecy jurisdictions and tax havens. The United Arab Emirates ranks tenth in Tax Justice Network’s 2020 Financial Secrecy Index (Tax Justice Network 2020a) and tenth in Tax Justice Network’s 2021 Corporate Tax Haven Index (Tax Justice Network 2021) [2].Abu Dhabi and Shenzhen sign innovative Twin City Agreement in boost to UAE-China bilateral ties. According to Gulf News, 50 million dirhams ($13.6 million) cross-border CBDC transfer was sent to China using the multi-CBDC mBridge platform. In diplomacy arena, China has built a strong clout in UAE as compare to India. Shah states that China Islamic Association (CIA) plays a proactive role to leverage and stabilise relations with Middle East countries by mosques and upholding the Sharia principles[3]. Xi-Jinping ambitious Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) accentuates the deeper engagements with West Asia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing the reverse. Joe Cash (2023) contends Chian`s outreach in West Asia is independent and shares mutual trust with the countries that were evident in the rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran. Beijing also expressed its interests to mediate the Israel-Palestine crisis[4].Prime Minister Narendra Modi thinks that he can establish secularism in the UAE by inaugurating Hindu Temple and ignore the nitty gritty of diplomacy. Next to impossible. In that case, the rulers of UAE would probably side with China in critical times than India. These few recent examples show that India`s diplomacy is failing to build a strong clout at the global level.
China has been playing a constructive and assertive policy whereas India under Modi and Dr. S Jai Shankar are seeing diplomacy through the prism of religion. India knows it very well that China is a best friend of Pakistan. China always stood by Pakistan against India. A recent example: China`s veto on a US-led proposal to designate Sajid Mir, mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) indirectly criticised China. “Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said on January 30 during an interaction with students at the Indian Institute of Management Mumbai that India shouldn’t ‘be scared of China’. In response to this in global times editorial, it is said that the dragon and the elephant should and can coexist”[5]. Readers can very well understand how inefficient and amateurish Dr. S Jai Shankar handled badly relations with Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Maldives government has permitted China` spy ship to dock at Male port.
By assessing the current circumstances at the international level, burgeoning Chinese clout in the world through constructive and assertive diplomacy, it is concluded that India should tread cautiously in the international affairs before it loses more international friends. India by provoking China can never achieve permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The USA, Britian, Russia and France would never upset their political and economic relations with China since they know very well China`s military and economic capability. They know very well also how India is lagging behind defence manufacturing. They know very well how India is depending on drones, missiles, tanks, aircrafts.
In the larger interests of India at the global level, firstly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should himself read some books and research papers on international diplomacy. Prime Minister Modi should stop looking at international affairs and diplomacy through the prism of religion. It does not work like that way.
Secondly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should remove exhausted, monotonous Dr. S Jai Shankar.
*Dr. Rahul Kumar, Ph.D. in sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (India). He is editor of Bheem Patrika. The views expressed in this article are personal.
[1] Janakpur is known as the birth place of Sita, the wife of Lord Rama.
[2] https://gabriel-zucman.eu/files/APZO2022.pdf.
[3] https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230614-xi-china-willing-to-help-foster-palestine-peace-making-with-israel/.
[4] https://www.reuters.com/world/china-palestinian-authority-establish-strategic-partnership-chinas-xi-2023-06-14/.
[5] https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202402/1306686.shtml
