Pakistan-China Strategic Partnership: Implications for South Asia

Abstract

Due to their long-standing relationship and shared history, China and Pakistan are frequently referred to as "strategic partners." The multifaceted bilateral relationship is built on cooperation in the diplomatic, military, and socioeconomic spheres. Defense and security cooperation would be the distinguishing characteristic of the partnership, if the focus of the bilateral ties were to be identified. But as the geopolitical landscape of the South Asian area changed after 2011, the equation changed as well. Along with opening up to Russia, Pakistan signed the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a significant economic agreement. Following the start of CPEC in 2015, the previously defense-focused bilateral relationship between Pakistan and China evolved into a massive economic alliance. The study has made an effort to comprehend this change between the two nations and will also look at the effects of this strategic alliance on the South Asian region. As the area has drawn the attention of major powers and grown strategically significant in world affairs. In this study, Pakistan and China's strategic alliance will be compared to other major countries' interactions, territorial disputes, and India and Pakistan's two regional adversaries along with the strategic implication on political and security dynamics of South Asia.