Confucianism is a philosophical thought that is essentially based in social values, harmony, collectiveness and moral values. It began as a philosophical thought in 400 BCE China. Confucius lived through the time period when Zhou dynasty took over China and there was a warring state overall. China practices Confucianism even today. Not only does it practice it, as a rising global power, China is also committed to export this Chinese philosophical thought across the globe. The road towards global dominance doesn’t include only hard power i.e., military buildup. China knows the significance of the soft power and the cultural dominance is one the major elements of the soft power. Through the establishment of Confucius institutes in Pakistan and many other countries, China is spreading its Confucius values of correct behavior, obedience to hierarchy and ethics. In the five key relationships defined by Confucius one is between the ruler and subject which is hierarchical and is based on respect and obedience. 

CHINESE SHARP POWER

Slowly, but surely the world is changing. The confidence that people had in the democracy is wavering which means that the guardians of democracy and its values are weakening. On the contrary the authoritarian leaders are gaining more favor in the world. The foreign influence in domestic affairs is becoming inevitable due to the enhanced and accelerated pace of globalization. Two of such influencing states are China and Russia. China has become a transnational force that has the capability to influence the open societies. Sharp power is exercised through media, academia, economy and technology. The Chinese sharp power aims at filling the vacuums in filling the local reporting outlets with the content from its state media outlet. In case of academia; the universities, think tanks and publishers rely on the collaboration that is provided by Chinese illiberal actors leading towards the foreign influence in academia. The Confucius institutes in various universities in Pakistan are also an example of China exercising its sharp power through academia. Similarly, the strategic arrangements with the elites of various countries behind the economic investments is also a way to exercise Chinese sharp power. The authoritarian standard censorship is being promoted through technology at the international level. 

CONFUCIUS INSTITUTES IN PAKISTAN

In Pakistan there are a number of Confucius institutes that are funded by China. As a strong ally, Pakistan welcomes these Confucius institutes and programs in its various universities. There is a debate about this Chinese initiative across many countries. Some believe that China uses these Confucius institutes to spy on the countries and to influence the mindsets of the youth. But the others believe that the threat is overestimated. United States has even targeted the Confucius institutes as a tool for Chinese propaganda that has infiltrated the educational institutes and has called the “foreign mission”. Chinese language and culture are the two most important elements of these Confucius institutes. China disregards the allegations of “foreign mission” regarding its Confucius schools and has repeatedly called out United States for being oversensitive to politicize everything.

In Pakistan there are five major Confucius schools operating including the ones in National University of Modern Languages (NUML), University of Sargodha, University of Punjab, University of Agriculture and University of Karachi. Around thirty thousand students in these institutes are learning the Chinese language. With the strong foundations of Sino-Pak relations, these Confucius institutes are anticipated as the foundation of the strong friendship between Pakistan and China that is being passed onto the next generations. The Confucius institutions are facilitating the cultural exchanges for Pakistani students. With the passage of time, these institutions are progressing beyond the Chinese language teachings only. For example, in 2018 in the NUML Confucius institute introduced an undergraduate program called as BS Area Study China. This program offers many courses that enable students to gain knowledge about the multifaceted aspects of Chinese language, arts and culture. Moreover, the students and faculty members from all these Confucius institutes are sent over to China to experience the Chinese culture more closely. After the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project has begun, the Pakistani universities particularly the ones that are hosting the Confucius institutes have made their research and logistical support and collaboration with the Chinese institutions a top priority. Both Chinese and Pakistani education ministry officials believe that the opening of these Confucian institutes will further strengthen the bilateral relations between Pakistan and China.

ANALYSIS

From the states like Pakistan that are closest allies of China to the states like United States which is the strongest competitor of China, the Confucius institutions are perceived differently along the spectrum from enrich cultural exchanges to “propaganda tools”. Despite Chinese strong emphasis on the Confucius institutions as being non-political in nature, there is no doubt that they are strongly being politicized. But the question is, why is that even bad? When United States embarked upon its mission of democratization and establishment of American Order in the post-cold war international system – it also used the tools of cultural imperialism to spread its values and ideology. China is following a similar course. No country has any restrictions or whatsoever in promoting its culture, values and language as long as the host nations welcome it. We don’t see any Confucius institution around the world that is being operated forcefully. This leaves us with a question that whether the Confucius institutions are criticized because they have imperial tendencies, or they are criticized because they are challenging an already established imperial culture in the world that has long been established by United States? As far as Pakistan is concerned, the Confucius institutions enable the Pakistani students to learn about the rich Chinese culture and language and it will be fruitful for Pakistan and its future generations to familiarize themselves with the culture of their closest ally.

Since the triumphant march of liberalism, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have flourished worldwide. Bangladesh is no exception. Currently, approximately 26000 international, national, and local NGOs are registered in Bangladesh. These NGOs are playing a pivotal role in poverty alleviation, mobilizing foreign aid, good governance, community development, and functioning democracy. While many international NGOs have come to Bangladesh and contributed to Bangladesh’s overall development, the country is also contributing to the world by developing the world’s largest NGO, BRAC. But as the time passed with enriching experiences, it seems the sector has also been gradually poisoned by a lack of accountability, transparency, and corruption in the governance. The issues about NGO governance are familiar to ordinary people and raise a storm in a teacup quite often, but the literature is still very limited. So, what are the issues of NGO governance in Bangladesh?

One common issue with NGOs is the biasness related to their funding. It has also emerged as a common ground for the government to criticize and outright reject any critical report published by NGOs. Often, foreign funding comes with certain principles and norms attached that the receiving NGOs have to follow officially or unofficially. Sometimes, these norms and principles contradict existing societal and state values. Again, many NGOs tend to keep the problem ‘alive’ so that the funding continues to flow and operation remains active. For instance, when Bangladesh took the Bhasanchar relocation project for the Rohingya, many NGOs opposed it directly or indirectly as it would scale down their activities in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazaar.

However, strong criticism against NGO’s financial structure is that it mostly overspends its fund on organizational matters. As a result, luxury hotels and cafés in Cox’s bazaar are crowded with NGO workers appointed in the Rohingya camp. While NGO officials are sipping their coffee at Gloria Jeans’ Teknaf branch, their clients are waiting in the line for rations at the camp!

Another issue related to the sector is that NGOs are run on the basis of cronies. Many national and local NGOs are run like a family business with ‘bosses’ at the top who takes decisions arbitrarily. Sometimes, the executive committee acts as a single entity to make decisions. The lack of regulatory supervision enables them to run the organizations of their free will. Transparency International Bangladesh’s (TIB) report shows that in 85% of cases, governing bodies are relatives, and in 95% of cases, they don’t follow routine procedures. The Decision-making process also shows the same picture as in 85% of cases, and executives make decisions unilaterally. As the ‘hegemony’ of the executive is evident, general staff are also deprived of their opinion in 75% of cases.

NGOs also lack financial transparency. Even though most NGOs run audits annually and provide updates to their respective donors, the audits are not independent. As audit farms do not want to lose their ‘NGO’ clients, they are often engaged in malpractices. There is also evidence of usurping by showing the same staff tasked with several projects to claim funds even though they are not working on those projects. TIB report suggests that accountants are not independent, and exaggerated financial reports are produced in 85% of cases. Another aspect of financial corruption and transparency question is the micro-finance sector. They are quite often overlooked. Their loan-return method is highly criticized at the societal level for repressive and extra-regulations methods.

And last but not least, exaggeration and secrecy are also affecting the whole sector. Quite often, NGOs provide exaggerated reports to both media and the regulatory authorities. According to the TIB report, exaggerated reports are produced in 80% of cases, while secrecy leading to lack of information is 85%. These harmful practices also create sensitive security risks apart from financial corruption.

For instance, the NGO Bureau of Bangladesh rejected Odhikar’s renewal application recently. Odhikar is currently gaining sympathy at home and abroad as the claim is that Odhikar is facing ‘revenge’ from the current government. But one cannot shy away from the NGO Bureau’s objections against it. Odhikar has failed to update necessary information with the bureau for seven consecutive years. It has also failed to explain objections to its audit report of 8 projects. Odhikar has breached article 8 of NGO regulation which requires NGOs to coordinate with local governments in executing projects. Furthermore, the bureau also raised objections about its tax evasion, and financial transparency as the officials used personal accounts to transfer fund. The same organization is facing a lawsuit for its misinformed and ‘anti-state’ report on Hefajat’s crackdown back in 2013. The bureau reviewed all these controversies of last 10 years according to NGO regulation-2016’s Article 9(1) and decided accordingly. Hence, The Odhikar renewal controversy reveals that Odhikar- a human rights group is also not free from the existing governance irregularities.

Other concerns about the sector includes bribing government officials, increasing job precarity for lower officials, nepotism in recruitment and promotions, procurement-related anomaly, and tax evasion by higher officials.

Post-Colonial Scholar Mahmud Mamdani once critically remarked, “NGOs are killing the civil society”. Neera Chandoke also criticized NGOs for shifting the focus of their intervention and transparency issues. The debate about NGOs and their role is quite common, and Post-Colonial critical scholars view NGOs from a pessimistic perspective. Considering NGOs’ pivotal role and impact on Bangladesh’s rural and community development, we can put such critical views aside. But there is no shying away that NGOs in Bangladesh are passing a critical time. The sector has already garnered many ‘bad names’ which could eclipse its achievements. The last three decades have, flourished NGOs in Bangladesh but failed to flourish ideal governance and regulations to govern smoothly. As a ‘civil society’, NGOs also have a strong responsibility to ensure ideal self-governance. NGOs must overcome these internal irregularities, fight corruption, and ensure transparency. Otherwise, it will be the demise of NGOs not just in Bangladesh but also in the world.

The United States Government is now actively backing the Indian Government’s demand that China not build a bridge in China that would cross from one side to the other of a lake that is half in China and half in India. This bridge would be crossing a portion of that lake that’s around 20 miles or 30 kilometers from the China-India border and therefore clearly within China.

New Dehli TeleVision, NDTV, headlined on 6 January 2022, “Chinese Bridge Over Pangong Lake In Illegally Held Territory: Government” and reported

India on Thursday came down strongly on China for building a bridge across the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh, which the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said was being constructed in areas “that have been under illegal occupation by China for around 60 years now.”  … The bridge is being built across a part of the lake that falls within Chinese territory, but it connects both banks and gives China the ability to move soldiers and heavy weaponry into India at pace.

That phrase “under illegal occupation by China for around 60 years now” is from India’s Government, not from the U.N. or any other international body that possesses actual authority to say what is and is not “legal” under international law; and, in fact, no such international body has ever asserted that a nation possesses some sort of legal right to determine what is and what is not legal within some different nation’s boundaries. In other words: India’s Government is lying here — deceiving — to say that China’s creating a bridge in that place is “illegal.” But the U.S. Government is, nonetheless, now clearly siding with India’s possessing such a supposed legal right to contest what China is doing inside China, and the U.S. is even participating with India’s Government in war-games against China regarding this supposed dispute about international law — but really about international power, and totally outside of any international law.

On June 8th, NDTV bannered “‘Alarming’: Top US General On Chinese Infra Build-Up Near Ladakh”  and reported that

New Delhi: Chinese activity near Ladakh is “eye-opening” and some of the infrastructure being created is alarming, a top US General has said.

General Charles A Flynn, Commanding General, US Army Pacific described it as “destabilizing and corrosive behaviour” by China as he talked about the Chinese infrastructure build-up across the Himalayan frontier.

“I believe that the activity level is eye-opening. I think some of the infrastructure that is being created in the Western Theatre Command is alarming. And so much, like across all of their military arsenal, one has to ask the question, why,” the General, who oversees the Asia-Pacific region, told a select group of journalists.

General Flynn said China’s ”incremental and insidious path, and destabilising and corrosive behaviour” projected on to the region was “simply not helpful”.

”I think it is worthy of us working together as a counterweight to some of those corrosive and corrupted behaviours that the Chinese [demonstrate],” said the General.

On Chinese military expansion in the Ladakh region, US General Charles A Flynn said, “One has to ask the question, ‘why?’”

India and the US are set to conduct high-altitude training missions at an altitude of between 9,000-10,000 feet in the Himalayas as part of the Yuddh Abhyas exercises this October. The location has not been specified. Indian forces will then train in similar extreme-cold weather conditions in Alaska.

The exercises are meant to be extremely high-level joint operations across the gamut of high-altitude warfare.

In order for India to carry out its asserted ‘legal’ ‘right’ against China’s building a bridge there, which is located on the Chinese side, around 20 miles or 30 kilometers away from the closest thing that currently exists to there that would constitute a legally fixed border between India and China — the “Line of Actual Control” as it is formally called —  India would need to invade China. The U.S. Government now is officially on public record as being firmly supportive of that happening: it chooses publicly to back India’s claims in that dispute against China. This is what an empire does, and America is now clearly doing it in this matter.

Also on June 8th, Türkiye’s (Turkey’s) Anadolu News Agency headlined “US general calls China’s actions on border with India ‘eye opening, destabilizing’”; and noted that “India is part of the US-led Quad, a security alliance that also includes Australia and Japan.” In other words, this U.S. Government effort is actually a part of its effort now to create in the Pacific an anti-China equivalent to the U.S. Government’s long-existing anti-Russia NATO military alliance in the Atlantic.

Back on May 27th, the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) headlined “The Quad Is Getting More Ambitious in the Indo-Pacific” and opened:

What did the latest Quad summit accomplish?

In a joint statement from the Quad summit hosted by Japan in May 2022, the leaders of the United States, Australia, India, and Japan reemphasized the principles of a free and open Indo-Pacific: freedom, rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.