I received a cartouche of this book from the writer himself. Two years ago the President DigiMap and Editor of our websites (IBC Urdu and IBC English) Sir Sabookh Syed took me to the author’s office where we sat had some tea, and talked about the book that’s how I came to know the overall theme of the book. The author wanted our Team to translate the book into Urdu, the National Language of Pakistan. So upon reading the book “Iron Brotherhood” I came to know more about Imtiaz Gul, an acclaimed writer and analyst in Pakistan. I could not resist praising the analysis of Pak-China Relationships given by the author in the book throughout this process of translating it with the team under the supervision of Sir Sabookh Syed a well-known journalist.
“What Lies Behind the Iron Brotherhood” embodies the spirit of the Sino-Pakistani bond during all these years and it marks the political trust, mutual respect, and developments. Journalistic research and the author’s personal experience give a profound understanding and a broader perspective to the reader in terms of ideology, economy, politics, and geo-strategy. This book reflects China’s internal strengths and global strategies. Furthermore, the success and accomplishments of the China-Pakistan partnership have brought prosperity to Pakistan. The China-China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was initiated by President Xi Jinping in Islamabad, in 2015.
CPEC provided employment opportunities at national and international levels. China and Pakistan recently established the first agricultural and industrial cooperation in order to promote trade. China, for the sake of the construction and coexistence of the planet, has proved itself worthy of being the superpower of our future times. The legacy and destructive strategies of the United States are reflected in that understanding as well. The relationship between Pakistan and China has maintained its trajectory. From the very beginning, China was behind Pakistan, whether it was domestic, regional, or international political challenges or fighting terrorism. China is working to reduce unemployment, the climate crisis, and terrorism, not only in Pakistan but also in African countries, India, and other underprivileged countries. The author highlights the future of that friendship in his book as bright, inclusive, stable, and full of possibilities for both countries.
This scholarly work covers various topics such as the Chinese model of governance, China under Xi Jinping, the Xi war on corruption, China’s relationship with the world, china’s quest for peace, China and counter-terrorism, Xinjiang as terrorism political instruments, and a brief history of Mao Zedong’s life. The book also focuses on the life and political career of China’s President Xi Jinping. President Xi promised Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, on February 20, 2020, that Pakistani students would receive proper care when the whole country was quarantined right after the COVID-19 outbreak. The author noted the occasional opinions of President Xi regarding Pakistan and the Pakistanis.
President Xi mentioned that he had heard many stories about Pakistan and its hard-working people and that those stories made a real impression on him as a young man. He adds that the Chinese value history and have not forgotten Pakistan’s solidarity since 1949. The short history of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China in the 1950s following the attacks of 9/11 and the CPEC decade is a delight for the reader. Who wants to better understand the efforts made by both countries in this friendship? The book compares two leadership approaches between the U.S. and the Chinese. According to the World Bank, in the last four decades, 800 million people in China have lifted about a tenth of the world’s population out of poverty.
China has a 5,000-year history of nationhood, loyalty, self-respect, and sacrifice. One of the greatest examples was noted by the author during the Olympic Games in Peking. China did not build $43 billion worth of infrastructure for the games, or the opening and closing ceremonies by sheer coincidence. This culminated in seven years of national investment, planning, state power, and hard work. China received the Olympics on July 13, 2001,__ a mere two months before September 11, 2001. He says he cannot help but compare the way China and America have spent their last seven years: China prepared for the Olympic Games and America prepared for al-Qaeda. China has built better stadiums, metros, airports, roads, and parks while the United States is focused on building metal detectors, armored vehicles, and unmanned drones. The analogy of two approaches gives us a complete picture of how one nation concentrated on economic and infrastructure development while the other blindly maintained its military might. China is known in the world for its economy, technology, agriculture, Artificial Intelligence, and military excellence. It has world-class companies: world-class leaders in the world of entrepreneurs. Undeniably, China has emerged as the most important global stakeholder in the world of economic development.
Imtiaz Gul’s book is a great contribution to understanding the dynamics and strategies of China. I strongly recommend this book which is helpful for students of business and International Relations to understand China and Pakistan Relations as well as the diplomatic approach of China towards the rest of the world. A profound study of China’s geo-economic strategies: Behind the Iron Brotherhood.
