"The Beijing-Islamabad axis plays a central role in Asia's geopolitics, from India's rise to the prospects for a post-American Afghanistan, from the threat of nuclear terrorism to the continent's new map of mines, ports and pipelines. China is Pakistan's great economic hope and its most trusted military partner; Pakistan is the battleground for China's encounters with Islamic militancy and the heart of its efforts to counter-balance the emerging US-India partnership. For decades, each country has been the other's only 'all-weather' friend. Yet the relationship is still little understood. The wildest claims about it are widely believed, while many of its most dramatic developments are hidden from the public eye. This book sets out the recent history of Sino-Pakistani ties and their ramifications for the West, for India, for Afghanistan, and for Asia as a whole. It tells the stories behind some of its most sensitive aspects, including Beijing's support for Pakistan's nuclear program, China's dealings with the Taliban, and the Chinese military's planning for crises in Pakistan. It describes a relationship increasingly shaped by Pakistan's internal strife, and the dilemmas China faces between the need for regional stability and the imperative for strategic competition with India and the USA."--Amazon.com.

This book examines the nature of the China-Pakistan relationship from the 1950s until April 2015, when the Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan. The author takes a historical approach and traces the growth of the alliance underpinned by domestic, regional, and international factors. The book offers a riveting account of Sino-Pakistan ties for readers with a cursory knowledge of the subject. It will also pique the interest of students, academics, and policy makers.

This book analyses the relationship between Pakistan and China in the post 9/11 period against the backdrop of Pakistan’s domestic politics and proposes that the major source of continuity in the ties between the two countries is represented by the military. The evolution and continuity of Sino-Pakistani relations are explored through three timely case studies: the port of Gwadar, where Chinese investment well pre-dates the advent of the Belt and Road Initiative; the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the "flagship project" of China’s global ambitions; and how the relationship between China and Pakistan has played out in Afghanistan. The book assesses the extent of military influence in Pakistan’s relations with China throughout the last 20 years in several key decision-making areas, ranging from internal security to elite recruitment. By looking at the extent of military prerogatives in Pakistan’s domestic politics, the book reveals how the major source of continuity in the ties between the two countries was represented by the role that the military has played overtime. While since the announcement of the BRI elected representative have gained some leverage in decision-making, the military has invariably been the main port of call even under a civilian dispensation. A novel approach to the study of Sino-Pakistani relations, this book will be of interest to academics working on South Asian Politics, Chinese Politics and International Relations, Sino-Pakistani relations, civil-military ties, and China’s role in Asia including the One Belt, One Road initiative.

This book focuses on the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure development project intended to connect Asia with Europe, the Middle East and Africa. By introducing a new analytical approach to the study of economic corridors, it gauges the anticipated economic and geopolitical impacts on the region and discusses whether the CPEC will serve as a pioneer project for future regional cooperation between and integration of sub-national regions such as Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Further, it explores the interests, expectations and policy approaches of both Chinese and Pakistani local and central governments with regard to the CPEC’s implementation. Given its scope, the book will appeal to regional and spatial sciences scholars, as well as social scientists interested in the regional impacts of economic corridors. It also offers valuable information for policymakers in countries participating in the Belt-and-Road Initiative or other Chinese-supported development projects.

This book tells the story of the tragic and often tormented relationship between the United States and Pakistan. Pakistan's internal troubles have already threatened U.S. security and international peace, and Pakistan's rapidly growing population, nuclear arsenal, and relationships with China and India will continue to force it upon America's geostrategic map in new and important ways over the coming decades. This book explores the main trends in Pakistani society that will help determine its future; traces the wellsprings of Pakistani anti-American sentiment through the history of U.S.-Pakistan relations from 1947 to 2001; assesses how Washington made and implemented policies regarding Pakistan since the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001; and analyzes how regional dynamics, especially the rise of China, will likely shape U.S.-Pakistan relations. It concludes with three options for future U.S. strategy, described as defensive insulation, military-first cooperation, and comprehensive cooperation. The book explains how Washington can prepare for the worst, aim for the best, and avoid past mistakes.

There has been a great deal of speculation and prognostication about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The project’s name suggests it is intended to be an ‘economic corridor’ connecting Pakistan overland with China’s Xinjiang province. This book examines whether CPEC’s primary purpose is as an overland conduit for trade and economic cooperation between China and Pakistan. The key finding is that aims related to regional geopolitics and internal security have, in reality, a more significant impact. The book demonstrates that China’s goals in Pakistan are primarily geopolitical rather than geo-economic, since the notion of constructing an economic and transportation ‘corridor’ between Pakistan and China is logistically and economically problematic due to a range of foreseeable problems. Most importantly, border disputes with India and the containment of domestic separatism motivate are the driving forces for cooperation between the partners. This book will be of interest to scholars who research the BRI, as well as policy makers.