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| Sunday, 29 May 2005 |
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China, Uzbekistan come closer Globescan by M. P. Muttiah
China and Uzbekistan have signed a Treaty on 'Friendly and Cooperative Partnership' on Wednesday during the three-day visit of Uzbek President Islam Karimov to Beijing. After signing the document Chinese President Hu Jintao said that: "It lays down a sound political and legal foundation for the long-term development of China-Uzbek ties. China respects the way that the Uzbek people's choice to develop their country and her efforts in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity", endorsing the stern action to quell the Andijan violence on May 13. Karimov said that the treaty indicated the relationship between the two countries had entered a new stage. This was Karimov's first visit to China after the May 13 incidents of protests and jail break instigated by destabilising forces. Confirming the foreign interference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that there was information about involvement from outside. "The matter concerned was strategically essential region, where an impending international terrorist threat is to be thwarted," he said. These incidents were well planned and the protestors echoed the same slogan that was heard in Kyrgystan recently, The United States that seeks a foothold in Central Asia since the disintegration of the Soviet Union used various ways and means to subjugate the independent countries. It used the September 11 attack as a scapegoat for its intervention in many countries. Uzbekistan granted America permission to use Khanbad military base, located just north of Afghanistan, to be used against Taliban, in exchange of aid and credit facilities. According to US administration these concessions were made to one of "America's foremost partners in the fight against terrorism." The story was far from the truth. Beth Jones, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs in an interview on February 11, 2002 said: "Particularly with Uzbekistan, one of the areas that we have had extremely difficult time working on is both democracy/development and human rights issue." "President Karimov has been extremely opposed to convertibility, extremely opposed the Uzbekistan's economic situation being linked in with the West, extremely opposed to the economic reforms. He believed that it was destabilising and dangerous for the regime and therefore he adamantly opposed it. By September 11, we have already developed relations with each of the Central Asians, with non-governmental and other organisations in Central Asia," said Jones. In March 31 this year, the Financial Times said that the government of President George W. Bush was planning possible armed intervention in around 25 countries using the argument that they were politically unstable. According to Carlos Pascual, Chief of the so-called Reconstruction and Stabilisation Office, the US government allocated $17 million for 2005 and $124 million for 2006 for his office. On Wednesday, the day on which China and Uzbekistan signed their friendship treaty, US President George W. Bush openly admitted that US had intervened in Central Asian countries. Speaking at a Washington dinner at the International Republican Institute (IRI), Bush recalled the "arrival" of democratic governments in the former Soviet Republics, Georgia, Ukrain and Kyrgystan as well as in Iraq and Lebanon in the last 18 months, and said that it would be continued to follow. "They are just beginnings, hope is stirring at the prospect of change-and change will come," he added. Bush also announced a plan to create an Active Response Corps within the State Department by 2006, that would be on call quickly deploy staff in crisis situation in countries that overthrow "tyranny" and elect pro-Western governments. He said that IRI, a pro-Republican party dedicated to advancing "democracy" worldwide was helping Poland, Lithuania and Latvia in effect to bring freedom to Belarus. On May 5, this year, Uzbekistan left GUUAM and organisation of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moltova. This was an organisation created in 1997 to counter the Russian influence in the area and it has received backing and encouragement from the US government. On April 22, the meeting of this Organisation was held in Moltova in which Karimov did not attend but Steven Mann, US Department of State's Special Representative for Eurasian Conflicts participated. It was eight days after Uzbekistan left the GUUAM, violence broke out in Andijan. China, Russia and several other countries supported Karimov in his attempt to quell the extremist forces. It is in this context Uzbekistan and China signed the friendship treaty which sealed "common interests to safeguarding regional peace, stability and in seeking common development and prosperity." An example for other Central Asian countries to follow.
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