The Impact of Afghan Developments in the Asia Pacific
15 Dec, 2001 · 663
Dr Subhash Kapila opines that there is strong support from the region to US operations against terrorism in Afghanistan
The Asia Pacific?s political landscape has changed significantly after the Islamic Jehadi terrorist bombings in US on September 11, 2001 , and the subsequent American military operations in
Afghanistan
.?
China
, had been in the global focus during the last nine months following the US-China dispute over the
Hainan
spy plane incident, Chinese saber-rattling over
Taiwan
and its strong opposition to the US NMD plans.? In one swift stroke on September 11, the global focus has shifted from the Asia Pacific region and
China
to the Afghanistan-Pakistan complex and its support to international terrorism.
China
has been affected by the Afghan developments in several ways:?
China
?s main prot?g? and ally in
South Asia
?
Pakistan
? built up as a nuclear weapons and missile power with its assistance, buckled overnight under American pressure and changed its policies.?
China
was supportive of the Taliban role in
Afghanistan
because of the Pakistani factor.? The Taliban stands liquidated today and
Pakistan
?s policies are in tatters.?
China
faces the unwelcome prospect of an American military presence in areas contiguous to its strategic but turbulent periphery of Xinjiang and
Tibet
.?
China
would also be concerned over the strategic congruence between the
US
and
Russia
over
Afghanistan
.
Russia
gave a nod to the
Central
Asian
Republics
to permit use of their airspace and bases by the
US
military.? It is unlikely that any consultations on this issue took place under the auspices of the Shanghai Five.?
China
was also forced by these developments to take a stand on international terrorism at the Shanghai Summit of the APEC countries.? Its declarations were limited, however, to legally correct and precise prose.?
Japan
, as expected of an enduring and strong ally of the
United States
, came out strongly against the Islamic Jehadi bombings in the
US
. The international terrorist empires thriving in the Afghanistan-Pakistan complex brought home to Japan the vulnerabilities of free and democratic countries, however military strong.?
Japan
, in any case, is not military strong due to its current defence policies.?
Japan
has brought about a significant switch in its defence policies following Afghan developments.? They facilitated the passage of legislation in the Japanese Parliament to permit the use of the country?s Armed Forces in multinational operations and UN operations, short of combat operations.? Japanese Naval ships and ancillary vessels have sailed into the
Indian Ocean
to assist the coalition forces, which is a path-breaking precedent for
Japan
.? It could also be the precursor for a more active Japanese patrolling of the sea lanes vital for
Japan
?s survival. Earlier, these developments would have sent
China
into a frenzy of accusations of Japanese military revivalism, but the present circumstance has muted Chinese responses for the time being.?
South Korea
, the other major ally of the
United States
in the region, has not figured much in the news in regard to Afghan developments.? During the Vietnam War, two South Korean Army Divisions fought alongside American troops.? Its current low profile could be due to the military environment prevailing on the Korean peninsula or an ebb in US-South Korea current relations, as the current US administration is not supportive of South Korea?s ?Sunshine polices? toward North Korea.?
North Korea
, however, has been put on notice by President Bush to open up its nuclear facilities to international inspections.? Flowing from Afghan developments, this is a serious development with the possibility of military intervention to enforce inspections.? Its impact will be felt by
North Korea
, and also
China
and
Pakistan
.?
Australia
,
New Zealand
and US) calling for the committal of troops, if required by the
United States
, for Afghanistan-related military operations.?
US
strategies in
Afghanistan
and its campaign against international terrorism enjoy strong support in the Asia Pacific region.?
China
will have to re-orient its policies to adapt to the changes in political equations and attitudes in the Asia Pacific and contiguous regions.? ?????????????
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This region, particularly
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Unnoticed by the world, the equivalent of Article 5 of NATO was invoked in the ANZUS Pact (
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Two major observations emerge from this analysis, namely:?
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