Beijing: China publicly speaks about peace, economic cooperation and regional stability while aggressively positions its military and takes actions that fuel violence, a report has detailed while accusing Beijing of using “two-faced diplomacy” in several parts of the world.
China’s dual policy is also seen in Africa, where Beijing’s official position was opposed to its actions. China claims that it wants peace as a potential mediator in civil war in Sudan. However, that stance is contrasted by the proliferation of weapons made by its state-owned companies, which prolongs the conflict by supplying weapons to both sides, according to a report in the Africa Defense Forum (ADF) magazine.
It quoted a geopolitical analyst accusing China of employing two-faced diplomacy in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where it has partnered with the government while maintaining defence and economic ties with Rwanda and Uganda.
“‘Beijing’s growing military and defence-industrial activities in the region signal a narrow, opportunistic turn that risks fueling further instability,’ Samir Bhattacharya, an associate fellow at Observer Research Foundation, wrote in his May 11 essay titled ‘The Two Faces of China’s Security Engagement in Central Africa’ which was quoted by ADF.
“This two-faced diplomacy — designed to protect investments and enhance influence — risks ultimately undermining the very investments it seeks to secure,” Bhattacharya had mentioned.
China’s primary interests in the DRC are economic, with firms related to Beijing have control on most of cobalt, coltan, copper and uranium mines and the Congolese armed forces have been posted repeatedly to mining sites in the east to safeguard Chinese assets, the report mentioned.
The DRC’s ongoing battles with M23 rebels include Chinese drones and weaponry on both sides, as the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda have all bought Chinese weapons.
Bhattacharya wrote, “[China] has supported training programmes for Congolese security personnel, provided logistical assistance, and encouraged the deployment of local troops to protect Chinese-operated mining facilities,” the ADF detailed.
He mentioned that this approach allows China to protect its interests while portraying the image of a nation that follows non-intervention as official policy. Citing experts, the ADF magazine reported that, by keeping security ties with the DRC and its rivals, China is prolonging the conflict while maintaining that it wants peace.
Last month, Philippines Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. had accused China of “insincerity and hypocrisy” after Beijing rejected Manila’s demand to comply with the landmark 2016 international arbitral ruling on the South China Sea.
According to a report by Democrata, the diplomatic exchange followed the Philippine government’s renewed call for China to honour the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims over much of the South China Sea and ruled in favour of the Philippines.
Responding to the Chinese Embassy’s rejection of Manila’s official statement, Teodoro said, “The statement from the Chinese Embassy in response to our Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a window into the true intentions of the Chinese Communist Party in its relations with our country.”
Teodoro, who has reportedly been barred from entering China since June 11, further criticised Beijing’s response, describing it as “an arrogant display of deceptive indignation” and adding that “what they say is no longer credible, that’s why they are resorting to agitation”.
The renewed diplomatic tensions come after the Philippine government denounced China’s continued refusal to recognise the 2016 arbitral award, saying that the tribunal’s decision is “final and binding”.
Despite the escalating rhetoric between the two countries, the Philippine Defence Chief said Manila would continue protecting its territorial interests in the disputed waters.
“We will not be oppressed,” Teodoro said, reaffirming the Philippine government’s commitment to defending the country’s sovereignty against what it describes as repeated Chinese incursions in the South China Sea.
The South China Sea has remained one of Asia’s most sensitive geopolitical flashpoints for decades.
The strategically important waterway is bordered by China and several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
(IANS)
