Pak-China relationship and its implications for India

• Speaking in Parliament, the Congress leader has accused the current government of “weakening” the country and bringing Pakistan and China together, noting that keeping the two countries apart has been the “single biggest strategic goal of India’s foreign policy”.
• The MEA has responded that the both countries were always close as Pakistan and Chinese leaders have described their ties using metaphors such as “higher than the mountains” and “deeper than the oceans”

History of Relations

• The India-China war of 1962 led to Beijing developing closer ties with Islamabad.
• China and Pakistan have shared their geo-political and strategic interest for almost seven decades
• Pakistan got support from China diplomatically in the 1965 India-Pakistan war.
• In a boundary agreement in 1963, Pakistan ceded the Shaksgam Valley to China which led to further deterioration of relations between India and China
• China has always provided Pakistan with the security of constant backing by a big power.

China-Pak cooperation and India’s concerns

• Shaksgam valley in Sino-Pakistan cooperation agreement, 1963:
• Shaksgam Valley is a part of Hunza-Gilgit region of POK
• It is a disputed territory claimed by India but controlled by Pakistan.
• Pakistan handed over this region to China in 1963
• It is not recognized as legal by India
• China-Pakistan Economic corridor:
• There are Infrastructure projects under construction throughout Pakistan since 2013.
• It is an extension of the Belt and Road Initiative of China.
• Its objective is to upgrade Pakistan’s required infrastructure and strengthen its economy by the constructing modern transportation networks, numerous energy projects, and special economic zones
• India’s concerns: CPEC passes through POK (Gilgit-Baltistan) which is Indian territory illicitly occupied by Pakistan.
• It undermines India’s strategic interests and territorial integrity
• It also affect freedom of navigation and trade-energy security of India
• Chasma 3 nuclear reactor( C-III nuclear power plant):
• It is Joint collaboration b/w Pakistan and China
• It is threat to India as it is executed with help of China

Counter projects by India

• INTERNATIONAL NORTH-SOUTH TRANSPORT CORRIDOR (INSTC): It is a geostrategic initiative being pushed by India to connect with Central Asia and Russia
• BCIM corridor: It is a proposed corridor between four nations namely Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar

Conclusion

• The rising cooperation between China and Pakistan can be countered by India’s involvement with other neighbouring countries through more projects like INSTC and BCIM Corridor so that a buffer can be created in case of situation of war with any of these two countries