1/26/2015 HowPakistanandChinaarecoveringObamasIndiavisitQuartz

http://qz.com/332911/howpakistanandchinaarecoveringobamasindiavisit/ 1/5

How Pakistan and China are coveringObamas India visit

Friends? (Reuters/Adnan Abidi)

SHARE

WRITTEN BY

Saptarishi Dutta

@saptarishidutta

2 hours ago

Dawn (Pakistan)

Abearhug,anuclearbreakthroughandapromisetodeependefencetiesObamaslandmarktriptoIndiaisofftoaflyingstart.

TheUSpresidentisinIndiaforathreedayvisithissecondofficialtourofthecountryinanattempttodevelopastrongerrelationshipbetweenthetwonations.

Already,thebonhomiebetweenObamaandIndianprimeministerNarendraModiwiththetwoleadersembracingseveraltimesinthelast24hourshasraisedeyebrowsinmanycountries.And,Indiasneighbours,PakistanandChina,areobservingthisdevelopingrelationshipwithahawkseye.

HereisalookatwhatleadingpublicationsinthesetwocountrieshavetosayabouttheUSpresidentsvisittoIndia.

InitseditorialObamasIndiavisit,Dawn,oneofPakistansleadingnewspapers,arguedthatIndiaisunfairlytargetingPakistanontheissueofterrorism.

OBSESSIONS India

LOG IN

REGISTER

Follow Us

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

DAILY BRIEF SIGNUP

ABOUT QUARTZ

1/26/2015 HowPakistanandChinaarecoveringObamasIndiavisitQuartz

http://qz.com/332911/howpakistanandchinaarecoveringobamasindiavisit/ 2/5

Express Tribune (Pakistan)

Daily Times (Pakistan)

News International (Pakistan)

Tobesure,thereisanelementofplayingtothegalleryinvolvedinallsuchvisits.IndianofficialdomanditsrelativelynationalistmediawilllikelytryandelicitfurthercommentsonPakistanfromMrObamaandotherAmericanofficialsthatcanbeusedbyIndiatoportrayPakistaninanevenmorenegativemanner.

Iftheyaretofailinthatobjective,perhapssomeIndianofficialhimselfwillsaysomethingprovocativeinthenextthreedaystograbtheheadlines.

AnewsreportObamasvisit:PakistanhopesUSwillraiseissueofLoCviolations,datedJan.26,saysObamacanhelpreducetheongoingtensionsbetweenIndiaandPakistan.

They(Pakistanauthorities)alsoexpecttheUSleadertopersuadeIndianPrimeMinisterNarendraModitoresumethestalledpeaceprocesswithneighboringPakistan.IslamabadhasblamedNewDelhifortheceasefireviolationsalongtheLoCandworkingboundaryinabidtodistractitssecurityforcesfromtheongoingfightagainstterrorism.

DailyTimesdescribedObamasvisitasabigdevelopmentinitsJan.25editorialtitledPakIndiaUStriangle.Accordingtothecolumn,theUSneedstobuildstrongrelationshipswithbothIndianandPakistan,andcannotalienateeitherofthetwoSouthAsiancountries.

AtriangularconundrumexistsamongPakistan,IndiaandtheUS.ItisthepolicyoftheUStobuildfriendlyrelationswithbothIndiaandPakistan,andnotwithoneattheexpenseoftheother.Duringtheongoingrecession,thehugepotentialoftheIndianeconomyhasbecomevitalfortheUS.IndiaispotentiallyaverybigmarketfortheUS.

Thepiecegoesontosay:

TheUSknowsthedifficultiesofPakistanandithasunderstoodterrorismcannotbeeliminatedthroughamilitarycrackdownonly.ThatiswhyWashingtonhasnotdiscontinueditsaidprogrammeforIslamabaddespitehostileoppositionfromtheRepublicandominatedUSCongress.TheotherfactorbehindthislovehaterelationshipisthestrategicimportanceofPakistanintheregion.TheUSisstilldependentonPakistanspolitical,diplomaticandmilitaryhelptodealwiththesituationinAfghanistanpostwithdrawal.

InitseditorialtitledObamasprogress,thenewspaperdescribedtheUSpresidentsdecisionto

1/26/2015 HowPakistanandChinaarecoveringObamasIndiavisitQuartz

http://qz.com/332911/howpakistanandchinaarecoveringobamasindiavisit/ 3/5

Global Times (China)

Xinhua (China)

China Daily (China)

notvisitPakistanasanimplicitsnub.ItgoesontoaddthatObamasIndiavisitdoesntaugurwellforChinaandPakistan.

IndiaiscurrentlyinabattlewithChinatobetheprimaryregionalpowerandanysignsthattheUSisdecisivelyshiftingtowardsitwillnotbetakentoowellinBeijing.ForPakistantheworrymaybethatgreatereconomiccooperationwillautomaticallybefollowedbyfurtherpoliticalcooperation,leavingPakistanoutinthecold.

InitsopedtitledIndia,ChinamustntfallintotrapofrivalrysetbytheWestdatedJan.26,GlobalTimesarguesthattheWest(includingUS)istryingtopitthetwoAsiansuperpowersagainsteachotherandneitherofthemshouldfallpreytoit.

TheWestiseggingIndiaontobefullypreparedforthreatsposedbyitslargeneighbor.Consideringthefactthatbothsidesstillhaveterritorialdisputesandwillprobablyhavewiderengagementatmanylevels,thissocalledrivalrybetweenIndiaandChinawillnotstopmakingheadlinesinWesternmedia.

Asbothareemergingpowers,whichhavethehugepotentialofbeingimportantforcesintheinternationalcommunity,ChinaandIndiashouldseemorespaceforcooperationinsteadofcontention.Thisagreementisfundamentaltobilateralrelations.

TheChinesestaterunnewsagencyisntreadingtoomuchintoObamasIndiavisit,orthecamaraderieheshareswithModi.InanopedtitledU.S.,Indiaunlikelyonsamepage,authorTianDongdongsays:

However,theshortenedthreedayvisitismoresymbolicthanpragmatic,giventhelongstandingdivisionbetweenthetwogiants,whichmaybeashugeasthedistancebetweenthem.

ThreedaysaresurelynotenoughforObamaandModitobecometruefriends,giventheirharddifferencesonissueslikeclimatechange,agriculturaldisputesandnuclearenergycooperation.

Thepiececoncludes:

Withsuchalonglistofdifferencesonthetable,ObamawillfaceahardjobtohavehisIndianfriendsonthesamepage.

InanopedtitledWhatObamasvisitmeanstoChina,SwaranSingh,aprofessoratNewDelhisJawaharlalNehruUniversity,saysModiseffortstoforgeclosetieswithmajorsuperpowersoftheworldcanbeatrickytask.

Inthepiece,hewrites:

1/26/2015 HowPakistanandChinaarecoveringObamasIndiavisitQuartz

http://qz.com/332911/howpakistanandchinaarecoveringobamasindiavisit/ 4/5

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DAVOS OUR LATEST THINKING

POLL RESULTS: WORLDWIDE

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM 2015

I think climate change is being depicted. But it may be contact with other planets. Or the Chinese real estate bubble.#wef15

Davos program now concluding with a truly horrendous piece of "global" music #wef15

@jacobwe FOLLOW

@jacobwe FOLLOW

Also read

Coming soon: A Made in USA Republic Day parade inIndia

Amid hugs, Modi and Obama hammer out deal onnukesand scold Pakistan

POTUS by lotus: Modi (again) proves hes the master ofsymbolism

Inthepiece,hewrites:

AlthoughIndiasDNAwillneverallowittobecomeacloseallyoftheUSanditsleadershipcanneverbeimprudentenoughtoadoptapolicyofcontainingChina,thereisnodoubtthatChinascontinuousrisehasbecomeamatterofconcernforNewDelhi.

Althoughitcouldleadtomiscommunicationandmisunderstandings,Modiseesnocontradictioninpursuingfriendlytieswithboth,theUSandChina.Calibratingvariouscompetinginterestsandbalancingvariouscompetingdomesticconstituenciescallsforboldinitiativesathomeanddiplomaticfinesseinforeignpolicy.

POPULAR ON QUARTZ

Coming soon: A Made in USARepublic Day parade in India

Disenchanted Hong Kongers arepreparing to escape Beijings rule

This is how likable people stay so

http://qz.com/332911

1/26/2015 HowPakistanandChinaarecoveringObamasIndiavisitQuartz

http://qz.com/332911/howpakistanandchinaarecoveringobamasindiavisit/ 5/5

@dtapscott FOLLOW

See More

Share

Disclaimer

Follow the latest from Davos