Adil Najam
A good picture, they say, can be worth a thousand words. A good number can be worth millions. Even billions. In this case, 15 billion. And that is counting dollars, not words.
The number, of course, is the value of business deals being finalized during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Pakistan. There are many versions of the numbers out there. Some think the number is $20 billion, others maybe more, and this being Pakistan media some are adding all the different estimates together. But none of that matters much, what is a billion here or there between friends!
But the real point is that no matter how you look at it, even the lowest estimate – US$15 billion – is one very impressive number. The even bigger point is that this is a number coming from someone who is clearly seen as a friend and therefore is seen so very different from how gifts borne by those who one does not trust are viewed.
Those, to me, are the real stories behind this number. The story of a powerful and dependable friend; maybe the only one for Pakistan. The story of a stable and sustainable international relationship; maybe the only one for Pakistan. The story of a sensible and reasonable interests-based basis for an international relationship; maybe the only one for Pakistan.
I am, of course and like most Pakistanis, a fan of the Pakistan-China relationship. There is much that we Pakistanis can ourselves learn from this relationship about why our other relationships have turned out to be so very different. There is also much that our other international partners – in particular the United States – can learn from this relationship about why their offerings have received such different responses from Pakistan (the obvious case would be the $7.5 Billion Kerry Lugar Bill that got half as much money into Pakistan and gave the US that many times more angst and such a different reception).
If we ourselves in Pakistan can learn the lessons inherent in this relationship and begin applying them to our other relationships, the value of that would, at least to me, be worth even more than the $15 billion we are now talking about. But can we learn those lessons? Have we ever?
Aah, our Indian friends come out to rain on the party! I guess the grapes are sour for messers “Nadeem Ahsan” and “Coldrain” and they are feeling the pain of anyone being nice to Pakistan… tsk tsk tsk
For me, the question that came to mind was: “what have we done for these 15 billion, or for that matter, the 7.5 billion that the Kerry-Lugar bill awarded?” I have not seen any reform of government, business regulation, or improvement in security. What have we done to attract this investment, and how have the fundamentals changed?
Not much has, which is why we are dependent on aid, not trade. We keep complaining about the fact that the US has not handed us a trade agreement…why should they? If we made products that were competitive enough, wouldn’t they naturally end up in the US market? Why do we always feel like we need special treatment? Can’t we work hard and be disciplined like other countries?
As Mr. Nadeem Ahsan has mentioned – these are MOUs. It is not necessary that they will all materialize. Even if they do, a careful analysis of the real impact on Pakistan and its economy is warranted. Once the Economic Affairs Division is handed over these agreements for follow up, we will likely see how good our inefficient institutions are at squandering opportunities.
Pakistan needs a reality check, and introspection. We seem like a hungry billi, running towards anyone who will throw it the largest chichra.
Of course, China does these deals for its own interest. But that is the point, both countries base this relationship on their interests and unlike the US China is a long term friend and is dependable.
Most of these are just MOUs. No definite investments planned and in any case China is more interested in our location that making investments in Industry. The Chinese never invest in any industry in any country, they are after resources. So, before we fawn over and praise them to the hilt like a jilted lover, we need to step back and take a look at who the real beneficiary of the relationship is. This investment will not create one Pakistani job. They will supply our military with weapons, extend lines of credit tied to resource extraction and screw us like they do to all of Africa.
We Pakistanis are a English speaking nation with links in UK and USA and China can use these skills in IT and outsourcing industries.
second thing is People2People contacts.Pakistan needs world class international universities.The newly built Friendship Centre should be converted into a Pak-China Friendship University.
My cousins have specialist training in medicine from China,another in engineering, a distant aunt PhD from Beijing.A young cousin is in Urmuqi Medical University completing his specialisation which are prohibitively expensive and competitive in UK.