Sino Pak axis in geopolitics described by
Higher than the mountains and deeper than the oceans.
- Chinese angle had created a potential challenge for India in the South Area Region (SAR)
China’s Interest in Pakistan
- involvement of any pwr w/ India & Pak has been a situation of a zero sum game
- China has taken these zero sum game dynamic to achieve its strategic goals
- US however have now avoided its previous zero sum character of US policy towards India & Pak by adopting a de-hyphenated approach
- Pak crucial for China, being a zipper state and a doorway to Afghanistan & Middle East
- Pak crucial in terms of preventing radical Islamic forces from entering the Xinjiang province
- both China & Pakistan have mutual interest in undercutting India
Why China is important for Pakistan
- fits in Pak’s concepts of borrowed power
- for constraining India (regionally & globally) eg by blocking India in NSG
- China has been providing Pak w/ conventional & non-conventional nuclear weapons
Pakistan India China Triange
- strong nexus b/w Pak & China to counter India’s attempt at regional assertions
- axis can be manifested in terms of CPEC & other conventional and non conventional weapon sales
- created ground for India’s rapprochement w/ global powers like US, UK, Russia, EU
CPEC
PYQ
- The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is viewed as a cardinal subset of China’s larger ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative. Give a brief description of CPEC and enumerate the reasons why India has distanced itself from the same. (2018)
- China and Pakistan have entered into an agreement for the development of an economic corridor. What threat does this pose for India’s security? Critically examine. (2014)
What is CPEC?
- 3000km infrastructural project, connecting China’s Xinjiang province with Gwadar Port in Baluchistan area of Pakistan
- it is a network of railways, highways & pipelines involving energy and infra developmental projects under China’s ambitious BRI project
- attack on India’s territorial sovereignty
- corridor passes thru Indian claimed passes through Gilgit Baltistan region
- if CPEC success, it will consolidate Pakistan’s claims on the disputed Gilgit Baltistan region
- once CPEC functional, will offer economic trade routes for Pak to Mid East thru Gwadar Port
- will impact India’s economic presence in Mid East
- CPEC will enable Pak to stand in competition w/ India essentially in the textile & construction sector in Mid East
- can be considered as a manifestation of China’s String of Pearl diplomacy since Gwadar Port in this project is right now unedr a 40yr lease to China due to debt trap
- also provides China access to Indian Ocean Regions, helps China overcome the great Malacca Dilemma
Way forward
- India should continue following its Neighborhood First Policy so that it can establish strategic clout in the region
- India should make efforts to increase presence in its neighborhood to challenge chinese outreach in these regions
- eg. In South East Asia, through the Act East Policy in Central Asia through the Connect Central Asia Policy in West Asia through the Look West Policy
- parallely, we need to increase our collaboration w/ great powers like the US, UK, EU, Japan, Russia & other like-minded countries through forums like G7, G20, BRICS, QUAD, ASEAN etc.