US-China cold war may have begun

As the US, China relations deteriorate into a new cold war, Pakistan has so far done a commendable job of walking the tightrope of relations with both countries. This was stated by speakers during an online seminar on US-China tensions and its implications for Pakistan. The webinar had been organised by the Institute for Policy Reforms (IPR). “So far, Pakistan has done a commendable job of keeping relations with both the US and China”, said Humayun Akhtar Khan, the chief executive of IPR. Analyst Professor Dr Anatol Lieven said that he had hoped a new cold war between the US and China could have been avoided. However, he said that it seems there is bipartisan consensus in the US to view China as an adversary, irrespective of who wins the next US elections. Dr Lieven, though, said that parallels cannot be drawn with the last Cold War as America and the Soviet Union had very limited economic relations. On the other hand, China and the US today are deeply interconnected and interdependent economically. This makes the situation complicated for the two countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2020.