New Trends of US Policy toward South Asia: Challenges to CPEC

Abstract

Since the end of the Second World War, the United States (US) policy towards South Asia has changed several times, but its ultimate goal - establishing its dominant role in the region - has never changed. The US government has adjusted its ‗South Asia policy‘ from many angles – from trying to unsuccessfully resolve the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan to arguing about their ties to the Soviet Union; its ‗to-stay or not-to-stay‘ quandary about Kabul to the mixed signals about the region‘s two nuclear programmes, and advancing the New Silk Road Plan and Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor (lPEC) Strategy, etc. These adjustments and new trends are not necessarily targeted against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) given historical timelines, but considering USA‘s strong influence over South Asia, they would inevitably affect or pose some challenges for CPEC. Therefore, China and Pakistan need to pay greater attention to these new trends, conduct comprehensive assessments of their influence on CPEC, and develop strategies to cope with them actively.