IN WHAT may well be called as Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s Asian charter, ideology unmistakably takes a back seat. The entire focus of his keynote address at the Fourth Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (April 6) of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in Islamabad was on “regional cooperation with unique Asian characteristics……” This represented a collective vision mainly of Asia along the Pacific and the Indian Ocean rims, with West Asia and the Central Asian heartland joining the club over time.

Without cutting itself adrift from its communist moorings, China has discreetly eased itself away from Maoist orthodoxy. It is evolving quickly as a capitalist economy from a committed communist state.

Communism itself has been practically transformed into a state system unencumbered by ideological frills and polemics. The process initiated by China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping has now matured. The state apparatus and its functions have been so skilfully blended with the party credo as to produce an unusual synergy. Regional cooperation with ‘unique’ Asian characteristics was “well on the upswing” to ‘upgrade’ Asian “competitiveness as a whole”, Mr Jiabao said.

Dynamism and the resolve to first catch up with and then to surpass the West in the post-colonial era can be easily identified as some of the “unique characteristics” of Asia. The whole of east and south east Asia is fast growing into an economically progressive region.

But the Chinese prime minister also described Asia as “a very complicated region”, loaded with problems left by history. There are territorial, ethnic and religious disputes. To these have been added “hotspot issues like uneven economic under development, terrorism, trans-national crimes, environmental degradation, spread of infectious diseases....”

To meet the challenge of these and other existing problems is the ‘historic responsibility’ of the 26 ACD nations. They should be jointly committed to a new Asia of peace, stability and cooperation in the 21st century and ready to live up to the “historical opportunity of rejuvenation and development....”

Asia would have made a ‘monumental’ contribution to the whole world if it succeeded in improving the standard of its people. China supported the role of Asia-based regional and sub-regional cooperation mechanisms (like Saarc and Asean). Asian cooperation was not “exclusive nor was it targeted against any party....”

Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri endorsed the views of the Chinese leader on a regionally integrated Asia committed to sustainable economic development and the well-being of its people. “The trail of regional integration has been set ablaze,” he said. Mr Kasuri would like the ACD to act as the “main facilitator in forging the essentials of cooperation....”

State Bank Governor Dr Ishrat Hussain stressed the need for more attention to human development, education, health and the social sectors. “We the Asians need to turn the 21st century into a century of Asia.”

Prior to his visit to New Delhi on the last leg of his South Asian tour, Prime Minister Jiabao spoke of a “new period of comprehensive cooperation” between the two countries, far outweighing differences...”

Beijing and New Delhi, he said, showed mutual accommodation in resolving their boundary dispute. China and India, he added, had reached an important consensus, and he would therefore want both sides to view and handle relations from “a strategic high ground” and “refuse to let questions left over from history impede and disrupt development of bilateral relations”.

During their four meetings, Chinese and Indian experts conducted what were described as ‘useful’ discussions on political guiding principles.

Pakistan has every reason to feel proud of its sustained level of mutual trust, understanding and cooperation with China in defence and development. Between two countries ideologically as far apart as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People’s Republic of China, such a close, cordial and constant relationship remains one of a kind.

In the context of this relationship, Pakistan would do well to keep in mind that shared ideology need not serve as the bedrock of country to country ties. In other words, these ties are essentially secular and based on the national interest of each of the parties concerned.

The real and abiding basis of such relations, furthermore, is essentially bilateral and to the exclusion of a third party except where such participation may be to mutual advantage and agreement.

— The writer is a retired brigadier of the Pakistan Army.