By Bilawal Hammad
Your commercial awareness dose
China is number one in the world in terms of military strength as it has 2.8 million soldiers, sailors, and airmen. The Asian giant is on top of the world as far as the military might is concerned followed by the United States. Apart from the US and People’s Republic of China, other nations that have more than a million standing armies include Russia, India, and North Korea. The Asian economic giant’s military is known by the name of the People’s Liberation Army. The People’s Liberation Army was founded on 1st August 1927. It is headquartered in Central Military Commission, Beijing. The People’s Liberation Army had a budget of $177.6 Billion in 2019 which was 1.3% of GDP.
The military power and economic prowess of China have made it a superpower of the world. Keeping this in view, there is a need for the formation of a NATO-like organization in Asia to counter the People’s Republic of China’s hegemonic ambitions in the region. The Asian superpower has a tumultuous relationship with some of its neighbouring countries like India, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other Southeast Asian states like Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Relations between China and India have worsened in the recent past as both the nations are facing off each other at their disputed border in the Himalayan region. The cause of dispute between China and India is an ill-defined border of more than 3000kms that both the countries lay claim to. Both these Asian nations are nuclear power and are neighbouring countries. Any continuous dispute in the region could wreak havoc in Asia.
The Republic of China is not on good terms with many Southeast Asian states due to disputes over the South China Sea and claims all of the South China Sea. The world’s strongest economy has formed artificial islands in the South China Sea. It has also structured a 3km runway on these artificial islands for military use. China has disputes with Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines over the Paracel Islands and Scarborough Shoal and with Japan on the Senkaku Islands. The East Asian kingpin continuously patrols these Islands and openly lay claim to all of the South China Sea and 200 nautical miles contiguous economic zone associated with it. Some of these South East Asian states are important partners of the United States and have tried to involve the US in their dispute with China. The US has many times conducted patrolling operations in the South China Sea to dispute the claim of China.
China also is not on talking terms with Taiwan and Hong Kong as it claims these two nations as their very own territory. Both these Countries are autonomous regions but the People’s Republic of China actively tries to political influence these nations both internally and externally. Recently, China tried to change the extradition law in Hong Kong which proved to be quite cumbersome economically for the financial hub of Asia. Keeping in view the Chinese hegemonic ambitions in the region, we can deduce that there is a need to form a NATO-like organization in Asia. All the nations that have a dispute with China or are afraid of its soft and hard power must unite to sign a security treaty to counter it.
A NATO-like organization in Asia could reinvigorate the security situation in the region. Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO), which was formed in 2001 for economic, political, and security purposes was termed as the NATO of the East. But, SCO could not ensure to counter the hegemonic ambitions of China as it is a founding member of SCO and has a great say in the organization. Also, many of the South East Asian states that have a dispute with China are not members of SCO. Hence SCO could not prove to NATO of the East.
In crux, we can say that China is a very strong nation both economically and militarily. It is a hegemony in Asia now as it has many disputes with neighbouring countries and many other Southeast Asian states. The Asian giant is a nuclear state and also has a dispute with another nuclear state of India. The dispute in the Himalayan region could prove to be another nuclear flashpoint in the world. The formation of a NATO-like organization in Asia is the need of the hour. SCO cannot prove to the NATO of the East as China is the founding member of the organization.
To keep up to date with the latest commercial news, click on commercial awareness to get your daily dose.
Donate & Support