Bilawal Bhutto Offers to Mediate Between the US and China

In a renewed bid for Pakistan’s ancient role as a diplomatic community connecting global powers, Formed Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto has tice again has said that Pakistan stands to help ease tensions between the US and China. In an interview with Deutsche Welle on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman made it clear that Pakistan has always had a policy of accommodative politics rather than divisive politics.

Strengthening Diplomatic Ties

Welcoming US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Bilawal underscored that Pakistan would support friendship with all superpowers in order to maintain a balance in foreign policy; at the same time, Pakistan wanted better ties with India. But at the White House, he warned that having Washington back India as a check on China could end up fueling an arms race in the Asian region. Pakistan would much rather play the role of a mediator, facilitator rather than being forced into any kind of geopolitical alliance he said.

Or if we are to be part of any strategic framework, we see ourselves as peacemakers. He said Pakistan’s aim was to connect, not divide the two sides. He also said the country could have a significant role when it comes to managing regional problems by playing a deal making approach like that of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Pakistan’s Historic Role in US-China Relations

Pakistan holds a rich history on diplomatic ties between Washington and Beijing, particularly in the early 1970s when it made its contribution to create a channel of secret communications between Washington and Beijing. Pakistan came under the leadership of Yahya Khan and he facilitated the backchannel discussions between Nixon and the Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. It culminated in Henry Kissinger’s secret trip to Beijing in 1971 following shortly by Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, and the establishment of formal relations between the United States and China.

As Pakistan, once again, could act as an invaluable means in the first place to play the broker between the two superpowers who are in one way or another at loggerheads right now. The U.S. and China rivalry is growing and it is likely to have large implications worldwide. “What we say about that is, that Pakistan has the experience, the capability to help ease these tensions that are very high in the region, just as we did in the past,” he said.

… rising global tensions and regional stability.

Recently, tensions between the U.S. and China have been mounting, including during Trump’s presidency, over trade disputes, security worries and accusations of currency manipulation. For their part, Beijing retaliated with its own tariffs on a slew of US goods, further weakening ties between Washington and Beijing.

Bilawal also referred to an erosion of power dynamics in South Asia as the U.S. attempts to promote strategic balance in favour of India against China. He added that the use of this counterweight could destabilise regional stability and increase geopolitical rivalries.

Impact of Afghanistan’s Crisis on Pakistan

Bilawal said that Pakistan is facing some challenges at the moment that can be attributed to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He asserted the emergence of the militant groups Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State (IS) in the power vacuum has left behind.

“How did Pakistan cooperate with us to put down the al Qaeda and Taliban before we took over Afghanistan, before the fall of Kabul? Pakistan had gotten to the point of dismantling and countering these militant organizations. But the sudden withdrawal left a security void and extremist elements were able to regroup and again present new threats,’ he said.

The Path Forward

Pakistan is set to invest in peace through using its diplomatic experience established over the years in playing international politics and bringing order. Pakistan continues to strive for peace and regional security and Bilawal’s offer to mediate between the U.S. and China is one example of such efforts. What remains to be seen is whether this initiative will pick up, but it does highlight Pakistan’s potential role as a facilitator in the fluid global environment.