Countering the Beijing threat

As America’s war in Middle East and Central Asia draws to a close, it has started worrying about Chinese challenge. While Washington faces $14.2 trillion budget deficit and pours billions in war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, Beijing is flexing its military muscles in the region. US cannot allow this as it would create an imbalance in the region. A report published in New York Times in its 16^th November edition said “As US turns to Asia it sees China everywhere.” The reports also accused Chinese maritime force of targeting Philippines’s research and civilian ships. This is the how US media and the US itself is wary of China.

The fact that Washington cannot tolerate any Beijing superiority in the region is further confirmed by President Obama’s visit to Australia, showing interest in using the former US World War II base once again. This shows how desperate the Americans are to isolate the Chinese in their region. US find Australia as an alternative base because Afghanistan is a region which would take a million men and a thousand years to conquer. Secondly movements like ‘Occupy Wall Street’, if in case get successful will force the American establishment to call off the military campaign in Afghanistan as it is a burden on US economy and has caused a massive economic meltdown. Australia would be a good choice to maintain some regional superiority, although it will lose a precious and a strategic outpost like Afghanistan leaving it to the regional powers like Pakistan, India, Iran and of course Russia to contest for it, China is least interested as its interest lies in Pacific ocean trade routes because it generates US$ 5 billion a year and in mineral rich South China sea. China is now sensing the threat from US as it attempts to encircle the growing superpower. That’s what they’ve been doing, formerly with USSR. Washington desperately needs to counter the Beijing threat, Beijing on other hand is well aware of Washington’s intentions and its ‘camouflaged diplomacy’. The test flight of Chinese homemade 5^th generation stealth fighter aircraft capable of carrying nuclear warhead, which, coincidently, according to Chinese authorities, coincided with a high profile US delegation on visit to China, signaling Washington diplomatically to keep its eyes off the region or else we know how to deal with you. The US authorities are suffering from paranoia because of Beijing’s growing military and economic powers, each year the defense budget allocated is kept secret and this frightens those in Capitol Hill even more. Another variable that fits in the US-Pacific-China equation is the US’s proxy power in the region, India. US will definitely be worrying for its civil nuclear partner, as it already faces threats from Islamist Jihadis which are allegedly trained by its neighboring country’s top spy agency ISI. On the other hand it shares its huge borders with arch-rivals Pakistan and China which the New Delhi sees as a threatening alliance especially in the defense sector. That also adds worry to US as it will have to support its partner in case of any morass. Currently the US is unwilling to leave Afghanistan as it is serving as an important outpost for CIA in the region controlling any geo-political move played by any of the hostile regional power like Iran and Russia, but the Taliban has caused enough bedevil in the last 10 years.

The Chinese military and economic growth was in spurt in last couple of years and the US now want to stagnate it by any means. Washington is now playing a triple tug-a-war, one with China, second with Taliban in Afghanistan and third within the Capitol Hill. One may view the Chinese and the Taliban factor as same because if they win it will lead to ousting of the superpower from the region. This tug-a-war may trigger Cold War II.         

Lover within.

            You away from me, I feel so disconnected from myself, so incomplete, like I’ve lost a part of myself or something precious.

            It was so easy for you to leave me and walk away, but I will follow you until the end. I just realize how much I want to hold your hand and dance with you in the rain, how much I want to hold your hand and walk with you for the rest of my life. But for a while it seem I’ve lost you or perhaps forever.

            Forever is what I am afraid of; I don’t care if it’s for a while, for I will wait. You are on the other side of the world now and I on the other but I look up and close my eyes with some relief that no matter where we are at least we’re under same sky. I still remember when a smile on your face set alight the inside of me with joy, a sort of triumphant feeling, I didn’t realize what it was. I still remember when even a trace of sorrow on your face used to upset me and I couldn’t help thinking, what’s bothering you, for the whole day and I didn’t realize what it was, but I did ask myself- Why?

I still remember those winter days when we used to have loads of chat, those winter evenings when we used to text each other and the winter rain splashed on the window pane, you used to say ‘Your wish, my command.’ Today when I wish you to be with me you seem to defy your command, today when I search my inbox I do not find your name on display but I don’t give up I keep on searching and I end up in negative. But I wait another new message to be received expecting it to be yours but; No. Today the winter rain make me nostalgic and I lose myself in those memories which is the only thing left with me of yours, these are so sweet that even when they sting the pain is so sweet that I want them to sting me again. Now I realize what it was and this time I won’t ask myself- Why?

            I so much want to tell you all this now but I am afraid of losing you, something inside of me stops me from doing so. Perhaps you might have discarded all that time we spent together as past and moved on, but do you know that it’s this past on which I am living on; unconsciously and unintentionally.

Before- The Ending

       Her eyes flashed a challenge; anger and hurt alternately sparkling in them as she took in the dark room and remembered the date, 15th June.

      'I knew you'd be here.'

      'Emma, cant you just shut up, and leave me alone?' He slowly closed his eyes with forced patience.

      'I should have expected that, it was always her, even now when she's dead.'
      Irrational rage brewed within him alongside the inky tide of rising hate, and the glass in his hand flew across the room shivering to broken shards against the wall.

      'She's dead! Dead Gone! do I have no right to grieve for her? I knew her my whole life, for Christ's sake!'

      Emma looked at the broken glass and didn't answer.

      'What do you expect me to do? throw a party?' He pursed. ' She was my best friend.'
      For a moment , she looked at him in silence. 'Do you want to stop living too? We can't bring back the dead by mourning them forever.' She paused , 'its been four years.' She turned away, and when she spoke there was only the sluggish residue of anger and the dismal realisation that they were bound only in sorrow; he, to his regret and she, to her dark jealousy of a world of memories that he would never let her enter.

      'You didn't just know Jazmyn your whole life; you loved her your whole life.'

The door slammed behind her.

      He picked up a piece of broken glass, holding it up to the fading light from the window. Its sharp edge cut into his skin, and he watched blood and fallen tears mingle, reflected in the light as rubious diamonds, in a moment of detached appreciation.

      He was aware of the finality of what had happened by indulging in the pain was just easier.

******"taken from US magazine November 7th edition 2010"******

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