Neighbour to a superpower

AS Pakistan and China celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, an important question emerges that goes beyond symbolism: what direction will the relationship take in a rapidly changing world and regional order? No longer merely a rising power, China is now in the ranks of global superpowers alongside America. This transformation has profound implications for Pakistan. Sharing borders with an emerging superpower presents opportunities, dependencies, pressures and strategic dilemmas that Pakistan has never experienced before. Pakistan’s long association with the US has seen fluctuating phases of cooperation, mistrust and tra­­nsactional alignments. Geographic distance was a critical factor that allowed Pakistan to have divergent strategic priorities. Washington not only tolerated it but also took advantage whenever needed. But with China, it is a different story. The relationship is rooted in strategic convergence, regional connectivity, defence cooperation and political trust developed over decades. Yet Chi­­na’s rise has transformed the nature of this partnership as the China with which Pakistan built its early ties during the Cold War era is not the same today. Beijing’s global ambitions, econo­m­­ic priorities and security concerns have exp­a­nded, compelling Pakistan to revisit ways of sustaining strategic closeness while preserving diplomatic flexibility in an increasingly polarised world. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is in Beijing on a four-day state visit, accompanied by senior government and military officials, with expectations that Sino-Pak ties will remain on the same trajectory despite the occasional friction. Most concerns revolve around security issues and threats faced by Chinese nationals working on various projects, particularly CPEC-related, in Pakistan. Although both countries share the goal of a terrorism-free neighbourhood and their views broadly converge on Afghanistan, there are differences over how to address the problem. Pakistan has dras