The balance of global power is shifting to China and Pakistan?

The race to dominate the Indian Ocean has become central in the struggle for dominance in the world at the moment, which is being called the 'New Great Game', but to know this 'Great Game' going on in the Indian Ocean. Before that, it is important to know how the policy is made on the important issues of the country.

In this regard, the National Workshop Balochistan, modelled after the National Security Workshop of the National Defence University in Pakistan, was started in 2017 by the Government of Balochistan with the idea that when people complete the course from NDU, the policy-making process, including national issues, And their knowledge about the goals and performance of organisations is very good and varied.

Moreover, they become better, efficient and informed members of the society, but the problem was that a large number of people could not be sent to the National Defence University. Therefore, this type of workshop was started at the level of Balochistan with the help of National Defence University. Later, the government also got the help of '12 Corps' to continue this process. Over time, the course was innovated. In the first six courses, only people from different walks of life belonging to Balochistan were given an opportunity.

However, in the seventh and eighth courses, people from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan were also made part of this course so that people belonging to different units can also learn about Balochistan province on this platform. And get an opportunity to understand the policy making process including watching, listening, evaluating and evaluating the performance of institutions.

While this platform is helpful in travelling from ignorance to knowledge by sitting on the other side of the table, it also has the advantage of helping people from different units to harmonise with the people of Balochistan, bringing them into the national mainstream. People belonging to other units get an opportunity to play the role of ambassador for Balochistan, including creating a sense of inclusion, clearing misunderstandings, sharing ideas about issues and resources.

So far, about six hundred members have completed this course, including members of national and provincial assemblies, politicians with different points of view, education and health professionals, bureaucrats, journalists, lawyers, civil society members, businessmen and youth. The proposal to establish a secretariat to benefit from their skills in the form of a team is also under consideration.

This workshop is also significant from the point of view that the members get out of the routine of life for 4 weeks to carefully review and analyse the challenges and opportunities facing Pakistan in the national and international context, while in Balochistan province. The emphasis is because in the context of the New World Order, Balochistan's geographical position, coastal belt and wealth of resources are extremely important from the point of view of Pakistan's economy and defence, while lagging behind the rest of the units in the race for development. The cow is also suffering from problems which require time to be rectified.

During the workshop, it was observed that this activity is an effective and organised program of information exchange, experience sharing and consensus building. Organisers are committed to achieving the goals of a prosperous, secure and sustainable Balochistan and ultimately a prosperous, secure and sustainable Pakistan while continuing their efforts to eradicate inequality including poverty and unemployment.

The workshop revolved around the three drivers of development namely power, people and policy. The participants learned how the people of Balochistan can be empowered through policy making to play a role in the development and defence of the country. As a result of this effort, a force of about 600 people is now ready, which is playing its role in achieving the national objectives on a provincial basis, which will in any case benefit the entire country.

How is the Indian Ocean the frontier of the new Great Game?

In the context of geopolitical change, the question arises whether the current superpower America will be able to fight with the emerging power China without resistance? Given its special importance, is the Indian Ocean going to be the target of a new military conflict? To find out the answer, the recent and recent situation in the region should be reviewed. In 1890, an American naval expert called naval power the key to world domination.

Alfred Thayer wrote in his book that whoever gains control over the Indian Ocean will dominate Asia and the waters of this ocean will decide the fate of the whole world. . Now his ships started patrolling the entire Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. At that time, 50 percent of the world's business and 80 percent of the energy trade was being done through these waters, thanks to which the Indian Ocean became an international trade highway.

Being an emerging economy, Chinese energy needs were also increasing. All the avenues that were being used to fulfil its demand were practically occupied by the US. The Cold War was going on in the West and the allied bloc, but Beijing wisely did not participate in it. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the United States became the sole guardian of the energy resources in the world because its navy had established its sovereignty over the waters like the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. China could not afford to compete with the United States on this front.

Another player in the region, India has 750 km of coastline along the Indian Ocean. Apart from this, it also has important islands like Andaman and Nicobar. Although it was considered to play an important role in the distribution of power in the Indian Ocean in the future, Indian thinking was focused on proxy or alliance with a major power with a degree of independence. After the Soviet Union, India got a new friendly master in the form of the United States. He was also a potential proxy in the Indian Ocean.

Thus, the cooperation between the two started, but the difficulty was that the focus of India's policy was on hostility towards Pakistan and the US was facing threats from China. In this way, a nexus based on two different objectives came into existence. Now the Great Game has started in the Indian Ocean, which will probably end with the American withdrawal from the world due to economic recession. Many smaller economies like Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates and Indonesia are also associated with the Indian Ocean.

The business systems of all countries except the UAE have a strong Chinese influence through the provision of investment, expertise and technical support. In addition, China has a presence in all the major ports of the Indian Ocean. The dying lion has faint roars as its economic power is shrinking rapidly and the size and deployment of its military force is also declining.

China's strategy is broader in this whole matter. Geographically and strategically, it considers South Asia and the Indian Ocean as a continuation of its Maritime Silk Route, which connects its trade and communication corridors from coastal China to other Asian countries. The Maritime Silk Road forms half of its Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to give China access to Europe and Asia. Beijing thus views the region as extending its coastline through Southeast Asia to the Indian Ocean and then through the Arabian Peninsula to Africa. Unlike the limited Indian objectives, the Chinese approach to the region is based on a larger vision.

The Arab countries have neither the determination nor the capacity to participate in the process of power distribution in the Indian Ocean or the Arabian Sea. Their limited role will also disappear as the oil reserves dry up. Another important state that could have played an important role in the Indian Ocean was Iran, but it chose the wrong partner in the form of India. In addition, Iran's goals have been in the Middle East, where it has targeted ideologically opposed states. Continues to deliver. Such a partisan and regional policy does not enable a nation to pursue larger goals.

Pakistan has the honour of adopting a remarkably wise approach to the Great Game in the Indian Ocean context. Strong and inclined to improve. Therefore, it is hoped that Pakistan will also get the benefit of Chinese control over the Indian Ocean.

Given this assessment, the following situation may emerge sooner or later.

A. Unlike the US, China is pursuing a policy designed to achieve trade and business objectives through the Belt and Road and Maritime Silk Roads, in which it engages with other nations based on mutual benefits. It will also have military consequences. In this way competition and antagonism is expected to arise, except for India. India will behave in a strange way. It will present itself as an attractive and large market economy to the US and the West in every possible way.