Imtiaz Gul
Ugly geopolitics continue to define inter-state relations and their responses to each other.
Look at the latest US sanctions on Iran, imposed on March 17. At a press conference in Washington, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised to maintain its maximum-pressure to choke off Tehran’s ability to export its oil.
These sanctions follow when Iran is battling the deadly Corona virus, it has lost nearly a thousand people and is struggling hard to take care of its nearly 14,000 infected citizens.
What can be more crude than bullying a nation where US economic sanctions coupled with the corona virus are already crippling life?
But merciless politics doesn’t stop here; Just have a look at the following twitter statement by one of the senior most US officials, Alice Wells;
“This is a moment to put aside ideological differences ….I urge all people of South and Central Asia, whether leaders of countries, communities or families, to prioritize real facts and cooperation in response to this shared threat,”
A very noble advice in deed. But curiously, it doesn’t mention West Asia – where Iran is located. Neither does it mention southeast Asia where China is located, a country that has almost tamed the corona demon in about three months of the outbreak. It has just closed down 16 temporary corona hospitals after an amazing response to the virus.
And as if to convey to the world its confidence as well as the importance it places on bilateral relations , President Xi Jin Ping openly shook hands with the visiting Pakistani counterpart Arif Alvi on March 17th. Sadly, western governments and most of the media continue to denigrate the Chinese response to corona with suspicion. But will it stop the rise of China as a global power. Certainly not!
