Military diplomacy
Beijing and Islamabad revisited their strategic denominator, and reiterated their commonality of interests. The high-profile military diplomacy interaction has come at a critical juncture, as the West is getting increasingly worried over China’s assertive role in the region and beyond. Given the pressure to abandon the Chinese camp and start loitering with the US on issues of Ukraine and hegemony of India, Islamabad is delicately walking a tight-rope. By assuring China that its inclination towards it is not time-barred, Pakistan has chosen the obvious route. The new phase of military to military cooperation as well as economic amalgamation that exists between the two countries is a lifeline for survival, and is non-negotiable.
The cordiality framework was evident as a high-powered Pakistani delegation comprising senior military officials led by Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa rubbed shoulders with their counterparts in Beijing, as part of the meeting of Pakistan China Joint Military Cooperation Committee. The presence of all three services chiefs underlined the indispensability of well-entrenched relationships. The fact that China and the US are in a row over Taiwan and Ukraine, as well as a perceptional difference over QUAD, makes their bilateral ties a challenging rebuttal for countries such as Pakistan. Thus, opting for a level-playing field is a necessity and Pakistan’s military brass did it in all graciousness.
Pakistan enjoys multi-facet ties with China that have a bonafide mark in defence and economic horizons. The $60 billion CPEC investment is Pakistan’s economic lifeline is a thorn in the eyes of those who do not wish to see geo-economics triumph. Similarly, Beijing is the biggest armament supplier for Pakistan, with the latest addition being J-10 fighter jets. Moreover, the India factor glues them in all centrality, as Delhi’s surge in the region is at the behest of Washington, and the intention is to marginalise and subdue Beijing’s clout in world affairs. Pakistan and China, nonetheless, have a laundry list of irritants to address and they are perfecting their intelligence sharing, eliminating the terror menace and ensuring the completion of CPEC-BRI format without any hindrance. The exemplary relationship is in need of extraordinary coordination. The military huddle, thus, was a step in the right direction.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2022.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.