The state of bilateral relations between the US and Pakistan which used to be one of the most faithful allies of Washington, remains in a rather sorry state after US President Donald Trump’s insulting New Year’s tweet which left Islamabad thoroughly outraged. Specifically, Trump chose to make his first post in 2018 about Pakistan, noting that:
As it is well known, the economy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (PRB) is one of the least developed, but one of the fastest growing economies of Asia demonstrating steady growth in the last few years. Today many countries seek to cooperate with PBR, in the hope of making profitable investments, gaining access to its growing markets and cheap labor. Among them are India, China, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, USA and other states.
Posted on January 1, 2018, the President of the USA Donald Trump’s tweet about the mistake of providing Pakistan with American financial aid (more than 33 billion dollars over the last 15 years), which was rewarded with “nothing but lies & deceit,” was a significant news event in the world politics of the recently arrived New Year.
The military confrontation on the Doklam Plateau, which lasted for two and a half summer months this year, became not only the most serious test in recent years for the entire system of relations between the two largest Asian powers, but also a challenge to the viability of extremely important international structures (BRICS, SCO), whose main participants are both China and India.
As is well known, India is the main competitor of China in Asia. This has recently been most evident in the way India has related to the Chinese One Belt and One Road Initiative. Realizing the importance of international transport corridors for economic development and maintaining stability in the world, India nevertheless rejected the invitation of the PRC to join OBOR. The country intends to establish its own international transport system, free of Chinese influence.
