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Nathan'ette
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Monday, October 08, 2012
News
Published September 8, 2011-Updated
August 29, 2012
“Convenient Allies-The U.S. and India”
By Nathan’ette
Burdine-Follow on
Twitter@nbnylemagazine
Countries
are self-survivors that will form a convenient alliance, with a non-ally
country, in order to protect its interest.
It is similar to two opposing factions having a common enemy and
recognizing that their chances of defeating their enemy are greater if they join
forces. In this case, the United
States and India formed a convenient ally relationship in order to combat the
problem of Pakistan and China. The
U.S and India have an interest in combating Pakistan’s allege involvement with
terrorist organizations and China’s authoritarian tactics resulting in its
global economic rise. According to
the Wall Street Journal writer Jeff Smith’s article, “The China-India
Border Brawl,” China and Pakistan
have a strong ally relationship. This
relationship was evident in China’s attempt at blocking the U.S.’s support
of India on the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which is in charge of exporting
civil nuclear technology. Like
Pakistan, China wondered why Pakistan could not get the same opportunity as
India to be accepted within the West’s nuclear circle of friends.
Unlike India, however, Pakistan has not been able to shake the allege
perception that the country is a safe haven for terrorist.
The Mumbai and Bali bombings, the recent capture of Osama bin Laden in
Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and Pakistan allowing China to have access to
intel information from the fallen U.S. military aircraft involved in the bin
Laden raid has resulted in the U.S., India, and others within the international
community placing a red alert over Pakistan.
The U.S. and India view the Pakistanian government’s allege involvement
with terrorist and a rising China as a threat to the political and economical
stability of the global community. And
a highlighted sign of the U.S. and India’s convenient ally relationship was
former President Bush signing the 2008 nuclear treaty that lifted the
thirty-year old nuclear sanctions against India.
The
United States had banned India from its nuclear circle of friends after India
tested bombs in 1974 and 1998. However,
the growing tensions in Pakistan and a rising China eventually resulted in the
U.S. looking for a convenient ally. India
fit the bill because it was similar to the West in terms of its government and
economy. Like the West, India has a
democratic government and a capitalist economy.
According to Wikipedia, India has the world’s most populous democracy,
10th largest economy by market exchange rate and 4th
largest purchasing power parity, and the world’s third largest military behind
China and the U.S. And by signing
the nuclear treaty, the U.S. and India moved towards using their shared
similarities in government and economical philosophy as a way to bridge any gaps
the countries may have had with each other.
By
signing the treaty, India was officially disassociated from its neighbor
Pakistan and had the scarlet letter T removed from its shroud.
Despite China’s objections, this created an open door policy resulting
in India obtaining a non-temporary membership on the UN. Security Council.
According to the BBC, President Obama has stated that he wants to
engage in more trade with the country and would like for Americans to see India
beyond its stereotype as a “call center” country.
President Obama put actions behind his words and approved a ten billion
dollar trade deal with India. The BBC
stated that The White House believes the deal will help to create approximately
54,000 jobs in the U.S.
There
have been some positives associated with the deal. The deal will benefit, big, mid, and small size firms.
For instance, over 12, 000 jobs will be created from the sell of
Boeing’s 30 new 737 to India’s private airline company Spice Jet, while
Harley-Davidson is planning a new plant in India to build American-made
motorcycles. According to the BBC,
the White House stated that GE Transportation and Electro-Motive Diesel will support the continuance
of Indian railways by supplying them with over 1000 diesel locomotives for
greater than 10 years. GE Transportation is based in Erie, PA and it’s a subsidiary
of GE, while Electro-Motive Diesel is based in LaGrange, IL and it’s a unit of
Caterpillar, Inc. However, neither
Pakistan or China, which voted against India’s membership on the U.N Security
Council and on the Nuclear Suppliers Group, was happy about the U.S. and
India’s new relationship. According
to the BBC’s article “U.S. and India Seal Nuclear Accord,”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Tasnim Aslam, stated that
Pakistan wanted a similar deal with the U.S.
Unfortunately, Pakistan has not received a similar deal because it has
not been able to shake the perception that it is allegedly funding terrorist
organizations.
Recently,
questions began mounting about Pakistan’s allege involvement with terrorist
after the Navy Seals found the Al-Quadea leader Osama bin Laden, who was
responsible for the 1997 U.S. Embassy bombing in South Africa and the 9/11
attacks, living comfortably near the military base in Pakistan’s capital,
Islamabad. This resulted in the
uncomfortable feeling that the Pakistanian government was possibly protecting
Osama bin Laden, while adding to the belief that Pakistan may be a safe haven
for allege terrorist organizations. During
the month of June 2011, the Pakistanian government detained reporters for adding
some truth to the assumptions by reporting the government’s allege involvement
in terrorist activity. The
reporters’ detention appeared to be the last straw for the United States.
The United States rescinded a $3 billion dollar aid package to Pakistan
because the U.S. did not want the perception that they were hypocrites who were
funding terrorist organizations in Pakistan that were possibly responsible for
American deaths. And to make
matters worse for Pakistan, there were reports that they had given China
important intel, which the U.S. viewed as a security breach,
from the military aircraft that was involved in the Osama bin Laden raid.
Like
the United States, India is especially concerned about Pakistan’s activity.
India’s has a heightened sense of urgency because it sits in between
Pakistan and China. Any uproar can
easily spill over into India’s territory and cause a downward spiral in its
economy and disruption to its government. This
was evident during the terrorist attacks in Bali and Mumbai and the increasing
tension surrounding the Arunachal Pradesh territory along the China-Indian
border.
The
terrorist attacks in Bali and Mumbai, a financial hub and home of the
international Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, shook India politically, economically,
and socially. Some Indian officials
attributed the terrorist attacks in Bali and Mumbai to the Pakistanian
government. According to the New
York Times' writers Somini
Sengupta and Keith Bradsher’s article “Mumbai
Terrorist Siege Over, India Says,” India’s
foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee pointed to certain “elements” within
Pakistan as being responsible for the Mumbai attacks.
In particular, the American intelligence and counterterroism officials
pointed to the Indian-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir as evidence of the
Pakistanian militant group’s, Lashkar-e-Taiba, involvement in the Mumbai
bombing.
According
to the New York Times’ writers’ Heather Timmons and Keith Bradsher
article, “Violence Clouds India’s Economic Future,” the Political and
Economic Risk Consultancy stated that since 2004 more people were killed in
terrorist attacks on India’s soil than any other country, with the exception
being the Iraqi War. Timmons and
Bradsher stated that Matthew Brooks, who is over the industry analysis at
Business Monitor International, said, “If you have a situation where terrorism
becomes endemic, that’s a more serious problem.”
The more serious problem emerged after foreign investors began pulling
out of India, India’s currency the rupee began dipping further, and its
tourism industry began slowing down. The
Bali and Mumbai bombings have resulted in India tightening its position on
Pakistan. However, due to India’s
tightening stance against Pakistan, India’s other neighbor, China, has taken
an authoritarian stance towards India.
China
caused a stir by building highways and railroads along the Arunachal Pradesh.
The Arunachal Pradesh is Indian territory that is along the Chin-India
border. According to Jeff M. Smith, India views the Chinese response as
retaliation to India tightening its position on Pakistan.
Although India legally owns the territory, China is unwilling to
recognize the territory as belonging to India.
Smith stated that the Chinese Ambassador to India believes the entire
Arunachal Pradesh territory belongs to China.
China showed its discontent by going as far as to break from Asian
tradition by attempting to block a $2.9 billion loan to India at the Asian
Development Bank. The loan would
fund a $60 million flood-management in Arunachal Pradesh.
However, the U.S. overruled the Chinese vote and was able to successfully
pass the loan. And on June 8, 2011,
India responded by increasing its military presence in order to prevent China
from advancing into the country.
China’s
authoritarian behavior has also spilled over into the global economies.
China attempts to use hardline tactics by placing higher tariffs on
foreign companies in order to limit competition in its country.
For instance, there were complaints to the World Trade Organization about
China’s hardline tactics and practices in the textile industry and its use of
cheap labor in order to push out the competition.
In particular, there were several complaints levied against China and its
labor policies concerning workers in the Nike and Addidas factories.
There were concerns about workers not receiving overtime pay and being
placed in dangerous working conditions. But,
the complaint that has recently garnered the most attention is the 2009
complaint filed by the U.S. , European Union, and Mexico alleging that China was
manipulating the market in order to prevent companies from having access to the
Mongolia Coal Company.
The
Mongolia Coal Company has the largest coal reserves that are used to make steel.
China has 40% share in the company, Russia has a 36% share, while the
U.S. has a 24% share in the company. The
EU, Mexico, and U.S. believe China is trying to use underhand tactics, such as
higher tariffs, in order to limit competition to China’s companies and thus
gain complete control over the Mongolia Coal Company.
The Mongolia Coal Company owns the “rare earth” minerals.
According to the Washington Times’s article, “Ruling on “rare
earth” goes against China,” cerium and yttrium are among some of the
minerals that are used to make such things as cell phone batteries, pollution
control devices, and laser pointers. And
due to the Mongolia Coal Company having the largest coal reserves used to make
steel, one can also assume that China’s takeover of the company will most
likely give it control over the major industries of construction and industrial
that depend upon steel.
Within
the global political arena, economic prosperity tends to lead to political and
military strength. A strong economy
means more means for a country to expand. And
China’s growing economy means a downgrade in the U.S.’s influence in the
global arena. According to CNN, the
Pentagon believes a growing China means an expanded military that could result
in growing tensions within the region. Due
to China having the world’s largest military, it would only be reasonable for
the world second largest military, the U.S., and third largest military, India,
to form a convenient ally relationship in order to combat China.
China,
on the other hand, has waved their hands at the U.S. complaints and dismissed
them, along with the U.S.’s involvement with India, as an unsuccessful way to
curtail China’s growth. China
believes the U.S. views the Chinese economy as a threat to the U.S.’s place as
an economic and military powerhouse. It
is a concern that is not unfounded because China has the means to expand.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade division, China ranks 2
out of 15 of countries trading with the U.S.
And the U.S. Department of Commerce stated that China has the largest
liquid assets, 1.6111 billion dollars, in the U.S.
Hence, China’s trade with the U.S. and its assets in the U.S. is enough
for China to expand economically and militarily.
So the U.S. is in a tough position when it comes to China because the
U.S. depends upon China for trade and the country has the most liquid assets in
the U.S. So In order to get around
these issues, the U.S. has decided to use soft power by forming a convenient
ally relationship with India and blocking China’s votes that aren’t in line
with the U.S.’s interest.
The open door policy the
United States and India have has sent up an alarm with Pakistan and China.
There are questions about how can two countries, like the U.S. and India,
who were not allies interact as such? The
answer resides in the fact that countries are like people who form groups in
order to combat a greater threat. It
is equivalent to two opposing sides recognizing that they’re strength together
will increase their chances of defeating a common enemy.
For the U.S. and India, Pakistan and China are the common enemies.
The U.S. cannot stomach the idea of possibly having blood on its hands
from allegedly funding a nation that supported terrorist organizations that
targeted and killed American citizens. As
for India, it is concerned with the violence spilling over into its country and
disrupting its government and economy. In
regards to China, the U.S. and India view them as an authoritarian regime that
is more concerned with power than balance, which is evident in its unethical
practices that are threatening the political and economical stability of the
global community. And in order for
the U.S. and India’s interests to be met, both countries must keep up the
united front as convenient allies in order to combat the Pakistanian
government’s allege involvement with terrorist organizations and China’s
authoritarian tactics resulting in its global economic rise.
Email-nathanette.burdine@thenylemagazine.com
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