The Dynamics of Pakistan-China Strategic Relations: Challenges and Prospects in the Post 9/11 Era.

Abstract

The dynamics of Pakistan-China strategic relations are increasingly shaped by the global power play in Asia Pacific region which is emerging as a new pivot strategically and economically for the whole globe. China has remained most significant strategic ally of Pakistan and its relations have largely been driven by its strategic necessity to continue balance of power in region. The nuclearisation of India in South Asia and its strategic partnership with US and desire to play a soft balancer‘s role in Asia Pacific has accentuated Pakistan-China strategic relationship. Both neighboring states China and Pakistan has had expressed commonality of interests at bilateral, regional and international levels. At the bilateral level China perceives Pakistan as a viable corridor for energy resources from oil and gas rich Middle East in her regional as well as in global perspective. For Pakistan its strategic partnership with China has played very important role in country‘s security against her arch rival, the hegemonic India. The recently launched China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would not only strengthen economic partnership but also create mutual strategic interdependence between the two neighboring states. Geopolitical scenario is getting more multifaceted with the passage of time with impending challenges and enormous opportunities. The study argues that the shifting structures of security in Asian Supercomplexare increasingly reinforcing the dynamics of Pakistan-China strategic relations in the twenty first century. Using the main framework of Regional Security Complex theory it examines the growing interplay of Asian Supercomplex with the South Asian Regional Security Complex which is marked by increased US-China strategic competition in Indo-Pacific region and China‘s Malacca dilemma as well as growing Indo-US strategic partnership in the region. In search of viable alternate energy routes, China has turned to Pakistan and initiated CPEC which will allow Beijing to use Gwadar port for transportation of Middle Eastern oil to Xinjiang through the pipeline. This has created a new set of strategic complex interdependence between Pakistan and China which is likely to sustain their strategic relationship in future.