Pakistan, China Sign Defense Agreement To Enhance Military Cooperation

The first defense agreement between Pakistan and China was signed in the 1950s and the cooperation between the two countries has risen sharply ever since. A new bilateral defense agreement to enhance cooperation has been signed between Pakistan and China recently, which has taken the cooperation between the two countries to new heights.

Chinese President Hu Jintao had rightly said that Pakistan-China friendship is loftier than Himalaya and deeper than seas. Pakistan's former President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar further added, 'and sweater than honey'. In the current tough situation, when the cowboy US government is using a new tactic to put pressure on Pakistan to 'do more,' the visit by an 11-member delegation from China led by Defense Minister General Liang Guangile and signing of the bilateral defense cooperation agreement comes as a relief to Pakistan amid the US growing pressure on Pakistan after Faisal Shehzad's failed attempt to blow up the Times Square.

Under this agreement, the three armed forces of Pakistan and China will hold joint military exercises. Not only will China provide four trainer aircrafts and 60 Million Yuan to Pakistan but it has also agreed to support Pakistan's stance on all the international forums. In addition, China has assured to continue to provide military and economic aid to Pakistan. The Chinese delegation said that not only are Pakistan and China good friends and neighbors but also dependable allies; the relations between the two countries are based on trust. China hailed Pakistan's role, sacrifices and practical efforts in the war against terror.

It must be remembered that a delegation from China had also visited Pakistan at the time when General Deepak Kapoor, Indian chief of Army staff, had threatened that the Indian military is capable of confronting both China and Pakistan at the same time. India tried to curb the significance of this statement, but since he has been made the head of a strategic planning division, it can be said that this statement was issued on the behest of the Indian officials. The purpose of this visit was to convey this message that Pakistan is not alone in the region; China and Pakistan are two hearts, one beat. After this, India and its masters calmed down. US Foreign Minister Hilary Clinton sat down with Shah Mehmud Qureshi for talks.

Cooperation on Military Projects
At present, Pakistan and China are cooperating with each other on various military projects. They are jointly working on a project to manufacture F-17 planes, which are said to be much better than F-16s. However, France has stopped providing some vital components of late. France has always stabbed us in the back and it didn't let go this opportunity as well. Australia also didn't stay behind, but the Australian military delegation is now on a visit to Pakistan. In addition to manufacturing F-17s, Pakistan and China are also working on a F-22-P frigate project and the first frigate, which is called PNS Shamsheer, has been included in the Pakistan Navy. The inclusion has further strengthened Pakistan's naval strength.

Prior to the Chinese delegation's visit, China had announced to provide two atomic plants to Pakistan, which will be installed in Chashma Barrage's second and third section. America didn't like the idea, however, it remained quiet considering its state in Afghanistan. Hilary Clinton didn't raise this issue during her visit to China; however, she wanted China to agree to sanctions against Iran in exchange.

Pakistan's Atomic Program
Atomic experts have objections over the decision to provide atomic plants to Pakistan, calling it a violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT). However, they also say that America too violated the NPT by signing civil atomic agreement with India. This is the reason why China provided atomic plants to Pakistan to make it clear that if the United States can do something, why cannot China?

The history of atomic cooperation between Pakistan and China is very old. According to reports, when the United States had imposed sanctions against Pakistan's atomic program, China provided Pakistan with 50 kilograms of weapon grade uranium and several tonnes of uranium hexafluoried, which is used in centrifuge. It is also claimed that Pakistan conducted its first nuclear test on the Chinese soil and that it was China that provided atomic design to Pakistan. However, in my opinion it is mere propaganda as the design is purely Pakistani and there is a huge difference between the two designs, i.e., Pakistani and Chinese designs.

US Presence and Growing Pressure
The military cooperation between Pakistan and China is expanding and hence America's attempts to contain China are intensifying. America has established five military bases in India, including one is the Ladakh Region of Occupied Kashmir (Indian-administered Kashmir). Likewise, there are seven US bases in the Wakhan corridor in Afghanistan from where all kinds of activities are carried out against China, ranging from spying to terrorism. In addition, the United States is using Japan, Australia, South Korea and Taiwan against China.

Now the only area where the United States doesn't have a base to surround China is Pakistan's Khanjrab Area. The US desires to establish a military base here. However, Pakistan will not allow the United States to do so. Over a year ago, a conference was held in China with regard to this matter. Ahsan-ul-Haque, former head of the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), foreign secretary and former joint chief of the Army staff, was also preset on the occasion and the Chinese had openly asked him how sovereign is Pakistan under the US presence and growing pressure in the light of the present apprehensive circumstances.

Pakistan had assured the Chinese officials that Pakistan is sovereign to the extent that it won't become a part of any conspiracy against China. The Chinese accepted this assurance and the relations continued to strengthen. The Chinese Interior Ministry's recent visit to Pakistan confirms this fact.

Increasing Coldness in Israel-US Bilateral Relationship

A slight coldness has developed between Israel-US ties during Barack Obama's regime. Israel has much doubts and suspicions about the US designs, whereas Obama wants that Israel should not get unchecked, while exploiting the US dependence and that it should demonstrate more caution and moderation in its attitude.

The Israeli extremist government is quite worried having fears that the United States wants to impose a peace agreement with it under which the Palestinians can unilaterally announce their independent state, and that the United States can also make a progress toward announcement of ending tension from Syria as well.

Undefeatable Alliance
In the wake of these apprehensions, Israel is worried about to what extent these differences emerging between the United States and Israel, which would affect the construction projects for the Jewish settlement in Israel. However, there is a proclaimed resolve that an undefeatable alliance between the two countries exists.

The fear that the gulf emerged in the views of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Obama can take any shape has reduced Israel's trust on the United States.

Impact of Arab-Israel Tension
Netanyahu apprehends that Israel could be forced to give Palestinians two concessions, which Israel does not want to do. Moreover, in such a situation, the Palestinians will get strengthened. Obama is promising for the establishment of peace in the region, and for the first time, he has openly stated that Arab-Israel tension is causing damages to the US reconciliation.

Netanyahu explains it as the United States wants to forcefully impose a peace agreement on Israel. Seven Israeli ministers met for three times last week in order to find out a way to end coldness between Israel and the United States. However, no agreement could be reached in all three meetings under which the United States could be appeased by stopping construction of the Jewish settlements in eastern Baitul Maqdis (in Palestine was the first Qibla [direction, in which Muslims face when praying]).

Netanyahu also expressed his displeasure with the US Administration by not taking part in the Nuclear Security Summit held recently in Washington. US President Obama ferociously spoke against Iran and North Korea at the Nuclear Security Summit and said that new strict policies could be announced against Iran. Obama, however, did not name Israel in the summit, whose prime minister did not bother to participate at the summit.

Uranium Enriching Issue
Egypt and Turkey alleged Israel that it also has nuclear weapons urging the world states to deal with the Israeli weapons as well. The US President's reaction to this identification was quite bizarre. On one hand, Obama was saying that Israel should essentially join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT), and on the other, the US President refused to make any comment on the Israeli nuclear program.

Obama avoided speaking on the Israeli nuclear program because it is the result of the US oversight. A process of useless investigation continues in the United States for a long time, which is based on making Israel a nuclear power through the US oversight. The investigation is being prolonged with the objective that at any stage it could be suspended for not reaching any conclusion.

The issue is that enriched uranium of the level of weapons development, got disappeared from a the US experimental site in Pennsylvania, and the United States has not yet clued to the same. The US concern to check the nuclear proliferation would depend on identifying where has the uranium gone.

A person namely Steve Levin was a member of the Israeli Army. He also took part in the 1948 Israeli war, and later on, he became head of the Israeli spy agency. He was also a close friend of first Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. The same person was the builder of Israel's nuclear program. In 1940s, Ben-Gurion as the head of a Jewish agency made a weapons purchase program, stealing and smuggling in the United States through a big network, and also their shifting to Israel. In this connection, the purchase of small weapons, heavy machine guns, arms-manufacturing material, planes, ships, and tanks was made from the United States discarded material places, and they were shifted to Palestine.

On nuclear front, Levin purchased Apollo Steel Company Pennsylvania at a cost of $450,000. Intelligent inventor Dr Zalman Shapiro was the founder and president of the Apollo Steel Company. This company also included a corporation of nuclear material. By September 1968, 587 pounds highly enriched uranium was declared missing through this organization. It was learned as a result to the 1968 investigation that this enriched uranium has been shifted to Israel, and it has also been used in weapons development there. Despite this disclosure, the United States did not take any action.

Kennedy was the last US President who was very cautious about proliferation of nuclear material, and was also serious regarding the US embargos on Israel. Later, Israel had freedom to steal enriched uranium from the United States, take it to Israel, and use it in making nuclear weapons. Despite knowing all about it, the United States did not take any action.

Israel's Growing Arrogance
Now, Obama desires to find John Kennedy's footprints and tread on them, but it has not remained easy for him to do. Israel has intruded into the very thinking of the United States through the Jewish lobby to the extent that it has become very difficult for the United States to take any action against Israel.

Israel's arrogance has increased to the level that it has become able to even eyeing the United States. US President Obama convened an international summit in Washington to devise a strategy to check proliferation of nuclear weapons. Israel did not give importance to attending this summit, and Netanyahu himself did not take part in it, although the heads of big nuclear powers took part at the summit. Netanyahu did not participate at the summit, so that it could not have to disclose the secrets of its nuclear power before the world opinion, and that it could also not have to make any final promise regarding the nuclear weapons. He also does not want to sign the NPT on the US request.

The coldness in the bilateral relationship between the United States and Israel is increasing. However, these relations have not yet reached open tension. Nevertheless, Israel does not care much about the United States.