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Washington frustrated by Beijing’s diplomacy

* More and more countries attracted to China
* Analysts warn the list may grow even furthur

WASHINGTON: The United States is becoming increasingly frustrated as nearly every country it tries to isolate for human rights abuses or impeding democratic freedom is being coddled by China.

Itself branded one of the worst rights violators by Washington, China is stepping up diplomatic, economic, trading or military links with the American-blacklisted nations while seeking to be a counterweight to the United States. Beijing’s growing influence is also blunting any impact Washington hopes to have on political, trade and military sanctions imposed on these countries.

Regimes outlawed or facing sanctions by Washington and leaning towards China include Myanmar, North Korea, Nepal, Sudan, Iran, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and Cuba.

The list could grow, analysts warn, as Beijing imposes no conditions, such as political and economic reforms to its support, while scouting for natural resources and expanding trade across the world to fuel its rapidly growing economy.

“I think what we are seeing is despotic governments are being shown that there is an alternative to the United States and the West, and China is holding itself up as the protector, if you will, of those states,” said John Tkacik, a China expert at the Heritage Foundation. The latest example of China’s “deft diplomacy” was seen in Nepal, he said.

While the Himalayan outpost king’s power grab in February was criticised internationally, especially by the United States, Britain and India, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing shrugged off the concerns and visited the kingdom last week.

Li, the most senior foreign official to visit Kathmandu since King Gyanendra assumed direct control on the insurgency-wracked nation, also invited the ruler to attend next month’s annual meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), the China-hosted Asian equivalent of the World Economic Forum held in Davos. “This Chinese visit to Kathmandu is a demonstration to Asia: “Dont worry, there are other options. We don’t need (democracies like) the United States, Japan and India to hold your hands and pat you on the back. We are there in case they don’t,” Tkacik said.

President George W Bush is doing little to check China’s growing influence despite having pledged to promote democracy across the globe and put “every ruler and every nation” on notice that this would be a test of their relations with the United States, analysts say.

Aside from his distraction by the war in Iraq and the broader war on terrorism, Bush feels obliged to China because of its key regional role in trying to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons drive, some say.

But US legislators are not taking it sitting down.

“The executive branch is willing to look the other way on China on a lot of abuses because they want strategic momentum to be preserved, they want the North Korean thing resolved,” said Roger Robinson, Vice-Chairman of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

“I think you are going to look at the Congress and they are going to see this path of China stepping into in effect pariah states and serving as their new champion,” he said. The Congress-mandated commission plays an advisory role to the US legislature and has been pushing for a tough US approach to China on trade and security. China’s strategy of rushing into “pariah” states largely to cater to its insatiable energy needs “shows a stunning indifference to human rights,” Robinson said.

“China is going to regret this because they have gone too far - you can’t do Burma (Myanmar), Venezuela, Iran, Sudan and in effect still being pals with North Korea all at the same time because it is very clear that where we have adversaries, China is some how aiding and abetting those adversaries,” he said.

China’s cosy relationship with hardline regimes could also lead to greater proliferation of dangerous weapons, according to some analysts opposed to the European Union’s plan to lift an arms embargo on China. “Chinas handling of advanced conventional arms, weapons of mass destruction, and ballistic missiles is of great concern,” said Peter Brookes, who once served in the Bush administration as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence.

Now a senior fellow for national security affairs at The Heritage Foundation, Brookes said Chinas relationship with North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, or even Syria could lead to sensitive European technology falling into the wrong hands. “The PRCs (China’s) export control laws and practices leave a lot to be desired. Willful government-supported proliferation is even more troubling,” he said. afp

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