Pakistan PM Sharif Meets Chinese President Xi; Both Agree to Strengthen All-Weather Ties

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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on a two-day official visit to China. He is the first foreign leader to visit China since President Xi Jinping won a third term in office.

Growing ties between Pakistan and China

Over the years, Beijing has expanded its footprint in Pakistan. Perhaps in no other country in South Asia has Beijing expanded its footprint more than in Pakistan.
The latest example of this was the Pakistan Day Parade in Islamabad in late March 2022, which saw the country’s military display several recently acquired military platforms from China.
- Eg. J-10CE multirole fighter aircraft, battle tanks, self-propelled howitzers and air-defense equipment.
- China’s supply of advanced military equipment to Pakistan — also including warships and submarines.
Just how close Sino-Pakistani ties have become can be seen in a 33-point document issued by the two countries in February 2022.
- Through this document, the two sides emphasized their support for each other’s core interests.

The growing Sino-Pakistani cooperation has set off alarm bells in New Delhi, especially as Chinese arms and money continue to flow into Pakistan.
The Indian military, which is preparing for a potential two-front war with China and Pakistan, is also concerned about the possibility of the China establishing a more robust logistics and basing infrastructure in the region.
The ‘central pillar’ of the relationship between the two countries is the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
- CPEC is a series of long-term infrastructure, transportation, and energy projects valued at $62 billion as of 2020.
- CPEC is opposed by India as this project is not only passing through India’s territory but also posing a threat to the sovereignty of India.
China continues to support Pakistan against India at the UN Security Council (as seen in the repeated blocks by Beijing on joint India-US proposals to designate two Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives).

On his maiden visit to Beijing, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During this visit, the two leaders agreed to strengthen the all-weather friendship and the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Chinese President told the visiting Pakistani Prime Minister that he was deeply concerned about the security of Chinese personnel working on projects in the country.
- This follows a number of attacks on Chinese nationals in the country.
- In April 2022, three Chinese were killed following a suicide attack near a Confucius Institute in Karachi.
China also stressed Pakistan was a priority in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy.
China offered an additional $68 million in flood relief.

All-weather friendship with China
- Beijing has placed Pakistan in a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy. On the other hand, Pakistan considers China as its Iron Brother.
Delicate balancing act
- Pakistan faces the challenge of balancing between its close ties with China and its longstanding partnership with the US.
  - The Biden Administration has named China as its biggest challenge after Russia in its national security strategy.
- Pakistan does not want to become part of any anti-China coalition.
Financial needs and the CPEC tangle
- At the bilateral level, Pakistan is looking to China for economic help.
  - Currently, Pakistan is facing the economic crisis.
  - The IMF had released $ 1.1 billion to Pakistan in August, helping it avoid a debt repayment default.
- The CPEC has struggled to move beyond the $25-bn mark (CPEC is a $ 67-bn project). It is due to:
  - China’s own economic troubles are one part of the problem, and
  - Pakistan’s reluctance or inability to invest as Beijing wants it to.
- Current Pakistani govt ran a forensic audit of CPEC and found that only three out of 15 projects in Gwadar, valued a little over $300 million, were completed.