The meeting between Army Chief General Asim Muneer and the Commander of the People’s Liberation Army Ground Forces, General Li Xiaoming, at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi underscores the depth of military relations between Pakistan and China. While economic and diplomatic ties have long been central to our bilateral relationship, military cooperation is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of our foreign policy. In a world rapidly heading towards a conflict between China and the United States, each backed by their allies, Pakistan must carefully balance its relations with both powers.
Pakistan cannot yield to Western pressure and abandon its military cooperation with China, nor can it disengage from the West and become solely reliant on Chinese military and technological support. Despite this idealistic vision of balanced relations, the reality is that Pakistan and China are geopolitically and strategically aligned in their foreign policy objectives, while Pakistan and the West are not.
The West’s unwavering support for Israel has strained its relations with Muslim allies, and its elevation of India as a counterbalance to China has heightened tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between China and India, as well as the Line of Control (LOC) between Pakistan and India. It is unsurprising that relations with India were a key topic in the discussions between the two military leaders, as both countries face the possibility of future conflict with India along their borders. Additionally, China plays a significant role concerning Pakistan’s other border with Afghanistan.
China remains one of the few nations capable of exerting pressure on Afghanistan, offering investment incentives to encourage better behaviour regarding terrorist activities in neighbouring countries. Cooperation between Pakistan and China is not only sound policy but an existential necessity for maintaining security along their borders. It is hoped that Pakistan will continue to strengthen its military relationship with China and actively involve China in addressing the Afghanistan crisis.
