Examine the role and strategy of China during the liberation war of 1971.What China was thinking about Bangladesh? What were they doing? Why?

Examine the role and strategy of China during the liberation war of 1971.What China was thinking about Bangladesh? What were they doing? Why?

Bangladesh is a country in South Asia with 148,460 square kilometres. Bangladesh shares borders with India and Myanmar but Bangladesh is narrowly separated from Nepal, Bhutan and China. Bangladesh got her independence from Pakistan after a long liberation war in 1971. The victory of nine months of liberation took place in Bangladesh. The victory of Bangladesh was not very possible without the help of other countries specially India. However, other countries like China, United States, Soviet Union, France, United Kingdom; their role in this liberation war was also very important. The role of China was especially important in the liberation war of Bangladesh.

Firstly, the declaration of independence of Bangladesh by Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman resulted in a civil war in the country. The inhuman genocide in East Pakistan resulted in a refugee crisis in India. The Prime Minister of India provided generous diplomatic and political support to Bangladesh. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi toured many countries to create awareness of the Pakistani severity against Bengalis. This effort was to prove essential later during the war, in framing the world's context of the war and to justify military operation by India. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi tried to convince those powerful countries she had toured to intervene to stop the genocide of Pakistani military but all the western powers neglected to term this genocide as an “internal matter of Pakistan". Basically, India wanted to bring the USA on board but they failed because, United States was a close ally with Pakistan during that time. And the USA thought it would give them best benefits to help out Pakistan rather than India in this process. That's why the United States supported Pakistan from the beginning. However the Prime Minister of India during that time, was able to secure support from the Soviet Union, The United Kingdom and France to ensure that there would be no directives in favour of Pakistan in the United Nations Security Council. And the support from Soviet Union made India stronger to fight against Pakistan.

Soviet Union was one of the most powerful political superpowers back then. At first Soviet Union advised Pakistani leaders to solve the problem politically. Even Soviet Union also send a massage to Yaha Khan to solve the problem among them rather than war and genocide. So, at first Soviet Union waited to see what the USA did. That's why they didn't support Bangladesh by giving military equipment at first. But later in August 1971 Soviet Union signed a 20 years long Indo-Soviet Friendship Treaty which gave India assurances of countermeasures in case of a confrontation with the United States or China. That means Soviet Union will help India if India is attacked by the United States or China.

So, what was the role and strategy of China during the liberation war of Bangladesh? At present, China is a global economic and political superpower. And the relationship between China and Bangladesh is now business oriented. China enjoys a huge trade excess with Bangladesh. But China was also a global economic and political superpower back then. And Bangladeshi people always skip the role of China during the liberation war of 1971 because China is a very good friend of Bangladesh now.

Around 1970 China was trying a business relationship with the USA because China was realising that they need international trade. But unfortunately the relationship between China and the United States wasn't good because China was a communist country and the United States never wanted to see a communist country to be successful. However, Pakistan realized China was trying to build a business relationship with the United States. And Pakistan had a good relationship with the United States and China, both of the countries. So Pakistan proposed China to help them build a business relationship with the United States. That's why from the beginning China declared the situation of East Pakistan as an internal matter of Pakistan. As well as they also advised Pakistan to solve the problem politically.

Zhou Enlai was China's head of government that time. When Yahya Khan visited Beijing in November 1970, Zhou Enlai advised Yahya Khan to seek a fair solution to the problems of Pakistan which means China knew about the situation of East Pakistan. They also knew that there are many political identities or political parties in East Pakistan who practice Maoism. East Pakistan was the home of two of the most pro-China political parties in Pakistan, the National Awami Party led by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and the Maoist faction of the East Pakistan Communist Party. From them Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani was a very popular leader back then. And chinese were in touch with Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani. China was concerned that the military action unleashed by Yahya Khan not only targeted the Awami League but also the pro-China parties as well as the Bengali populace. And China's head of government served under Chairman Mao Zedong. So China couldn't even avoid Bangladesh and China was a friend of Pakistan. From this perspective China advised Pakistan several times to solve the issue politically as well as.

Furthermore, Zhou Enlai reported the details of the meeting with Yahya Khan to the chairman Mao Zedong. After consultations with the chairman Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai sent a letter to Pakistan and suggested that the Pakistanis might release the letter to the press. The most important bit of the Chinese letter, which was shortly excised by the Pakistanis before releasing the rest, clearly stated that “the question of East Pakistan should be settled according to the wishes of the people of East Pakistan." Which also proves that China could not avoid Bangladesh either.

Besides, relations between China and India have never been good. Since the humiliating defeat in the war of 1962, India had regarded China as the major strategic threat. Thus, China has never looked favorably on India politically. But China had no intention of getting involved in any regional war. So they thought if they actively engage Pakistan, India may be at war with China. Because India was observing China for a long time. And China didn't want to get involved in a war with India that time because it would slow down China's economic growth. So, China's main focus was on economic growth rather than involving in a war. That was another reason for which China didn't actively participate in the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971, though China was continuing to sell small arms to Pakistan. Further china was so reluctant in supporting pakistan because china didn't want to push india closer to the soviet union.

Moreover, the Vietnam War was a matter of concern for everyone. India or the Mujibnagar government never wanted to see the liberation war of Bangladesh like the Vietnam war. Because the Vietnam war happened for a long time. It started in 1955 and ended in 1975. This means that the war was still going on. This war has happened for a long time due to the involvement of many communist countries and anti-communist countries. The war was officially fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other communist allies and South Vietnam was supported by the United States, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Thailand, and other anti-communist allies. So the India and Mujibnagar government were worried that the war in Bangladesh would not be like the war in Vietnam. From this concern the Mujibnagar government and India tried to resist China from involving in the liberation war of Bangladesh. Specifically India tried to resist China anyway from involvement in the liberation war of Bangladesh. That's why India waited a long time and they started the war against Pakistan for Bangladesh in the winter season. Because India shares a border with China in the northern part of india. And it was almost impossible for China to attack India in winter in the northern india border.

Last of all, China did not actively participate in the liberation war of Bangladesh but they played an important role in the war. Basically, China played quite a neutral role in the Liberation war of Bangladesh. Because East Pakistan was the home of two of the most pro-China political parties in Pakistan. That's why China couldn't avoid Bangladesh and they advised Pakistan to solve this issue politically. Further china was so reluctant in supporting pakistan because china didn't want to push india closer to the Soviet Union. And India was afraid of China’s involvement in this war because if China was actively involved in the war, then soviet union would be involved actively. And India and the Mujibnagar government never wanted to see the war like the Vietnam war. That is why they tried to resist China anyway from involvement in the liberation war of Bangladesh.