China Pakistan Relations, A Historical Background

China is growing its influence on world affairs around the globe. Its economic growth has made the world to believe that the future supper power is in Asia and very soon it will surpass America. China itself is asserting its power on developing countries of Asia and Africa while pouring investment of billions of Dollars in infrastructure development. Pakistan is among those countries which are greatly influenced and impressed by the Chinese model of development.

Pakistan is proud of its friendship with China and always supports China in all its odds at international arena. Due to this "Higher than Himalayas, deeper than ocean and Sweeter than Honey" friendship, Pakistan turns a blind eye on prosecution of Uighur Muslims in China's Xingjian province.

Now the questions are "How China is feeling about its friendship with Pakistan? Do China keep the similar definition, warmth and sincerity in its relationship as Pakistan keeps? To understand this, we need to look into the foundation of this relation and the dynamics responsible for evolution of the relationship.

Although Pakistan had recognized Peoples Republic of China in 1951 but the relationship formally started during China's war with India in 1962. During this war, China started working on strengthening the relationship with the belief that "The enemy of my enemy is my friend". In 1963 Pakistan-China friendship went higher than Himalayas when Pakistan gifted 5,180sq land of Gilgit-Baltistan to China. Then came the 1965 war of Pakistan with India where China came to rescue Pakistan by providing military equipment and financial aid. The purpose of supporting Pakistan was to make India realize that “You have not one but two enemies in your neighbours”

Pakistan to enter into a new adventure of the war with India in 1971, but this time China decided to remain neutral despite the fact that Pakistan was in desperate need of assistance from the all-weather friend. But Mr. Chou En Lai in a letter to the then President of Pakistan Yehya Khan declared the intervention a purely internal matter of Pakistan and advised the desperate Yahya to settle the issue by their own without any foreign assistance. The main reason behind losing the support of China was, the East-West disparity and division within Pakistan. China had sensed the devastating impacts of the internal dispute between East and West on the country’s future. Second reason was Soviet Union and India had entered a cooperative agreement and China was fully aware that if it supported Pakistan, the Soviet Union would no more remain neutral.

After this war Pakistan-China relations strained and Pakistan’s share in Chinese assistance reduced significantly.

In 1974 when India successfully tested the nuclear weapons, China felt threatened and turned back Pakistan again. When Pakistan called for protection from the five members of nuclear club, China was the first to respond affirmatively and promised to extend their full support to Pakistan against foreign aggression including nuclear blackmail by India. In 1974 China sent Pakistan 6 MiG-19 fighter jets, 150 tanks and signed a USD 300 million aid

Next major event which compelled China to maintain its relations with Pakistan was Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. During this time Pakistan has initiated its notorious strategic depth strategy in partnership with US. The University of Nebraska in United States was developing the Jihadi Materials and Pakistan was recruiting illiterate Pashtuns for Jihad in Afghanistan against Russia. Pakistan being the frontline state against Russian advances in Afghanistan, got financial support from US and China. During this period China permitted its territory for flights to counter Russia in Afghanistan and China also provided the anti-tank rockets to Pakistan. This new Jihadist environment in Pakistan was an encouraging element for the Muslim separatist elements in Xinjiang province of China. East Turkmenistan Islamic Movement was founded at that time and it started recruiting Jihadist from centres in Pakistan. China turned a blind eye on this as well because the Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI had full control over the jihadist in Pakistan and Afghanistan and they were protecting the Chinese interest.

Although China had supported Pakistan in acquiring nuclear capabilities but, during the nuclear detonation of Pakistan and India in 1998, China tried to maintain a neutral position. It did not veto the Security Council’s resolution to condemn the nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan. This neutral position was because of India which was part of the nuclear detonation. 

During Kargil conflicts, China also maintained a neutral position and urged both countries to pull back their forces to the pre-conflict position. This demand was also not in line with Pakistan's wish to capture the major defence points of India.

China's neutral stance in both the events, Nuclear tests of 1998 and Kargil adventure of 1999 was due to India's growing economy. India has a fast-growing economy which actually forced China to rethink the Sino-Indian relations.

 Apart from the historical up and downs, we cannot deny the importance of this great Pak-China relationship. Due to our geopolitical environment, coupled with a deteriorating economy, China is the only friend on which we can rely. The possible blacklisting by FATF is a sword which is hanging on our heads and China is the only hope to avert this while countering India.

Keeping in view the historical background, we can conclude that countries have no friends, but they have vested interests, so to be more relevant in this relation and for its sustainability, Pakistan need to improve its global image and economy. We need to be a country of business opportunities and knowledge society than a security centric state.