shafali
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Editor's note: Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. He writes on topics pertaining to China, the DPRK, Britain and the U.S. The article reflects the author's opinion and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
On June 21, Axios' Jonathan Swan interviewed Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan on America's HBO. The outlet, well known for peddling anti-China narratives, sought to catch him out by questioning his opposition to anti-Islam policies in the West with a view of pushing him to comment on the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China, branding the situation a "genocide."
Khan replied by saying China and Pakistan share a long-term special friendship and that Beijing has always provided Islamabad with support even through the toughest of times and that any differences are resolved privately.
Despite this, Axios moved to fundamentally misrepresent the prime minister's position in the view to pushing its own anti-China political agenda, of which it has been notorious for, and published a subsequent article claiming that Khan was being silenced by China, stating:
"Khan is silent for a simple reason: cash-strapped Pakistan has become increasingly financially dependent on China, for billions in loans and investment… These loans come at a price: the developing countries receiving them better not say anything publicly to incur China's wrath."
This is a patronizing, insulting and outright false depiction of the China-Pakistan relationship and the issue at stake. Although of course the two countries constitute two very different cultural and political systems, the smearing of Islamabad's ties with Beijing as a mere product of "debt coercion" dismisses and abrogates a 70-year friendship that has been built on a common postcolonial and developing world solidarity which in doing so,
shares common norms of respect for one's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, of which the Western world has not been willing to adhere to, not least in its application towards Muslim nations.
Similarly, the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is built on this sentiment, shared strategic objectives and likewise China's principle of supporting "developing world solidarity", as opposed to mere "debt trap diplomacy." The two countries have set out a comprehensive vision to transform Pakistan's economy and allow it to climb away from being a struggling, poor economy towards a future industrial powerhouse.
Full article:
Axios' interview of Pakistani PM was patronizing and insulting
Although the ideology of China and many Muslim nations differs greatly, China does not preach its ideology or interfere in the affairs of Islamic countries accordingly.
news.cgtn.com
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