ChinaPakistan relations began in 1950 when Pakistan was among the first countries to end

official diplomatic relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan and recognize the PRC.
Since then, both countries have placed considerable importance on the maintenance of an
extremely close and supportive relationship. Since then, the two countries have regularly
exchanged high-level visits resulting in a variety of agreements. The PRC has provided
economic, military and technical assistance to Pakistan and each considers the other a close
strategic ally.
Bilateral relations have evolved from an initial Chinese policy of neutrality to a partnership
that links a smaller but militarily powerful Pakistan, partially dependent on China for its
economic and military strength, with China attempting to balance competing interests in the
region. Diplomatic relations were established in 1950, military assistance began in 1966, a
strategic alliance was formed in 1972 and economic co-operation began in 1979. China has
become Pakistans largest supplier of arms and its third-largest trading partner. Recently, both
nations have decided to cooperate in improving Pakistan's civil nuclear power sector.
Maintaining close relations with China is a central part of Pakistan's foreign policy. China
supported Pakistan's opposition to the Soviet Union's intervention in Afghanistan and is
perceived by Pakistan as a regional counterweight to NATO and the United States. China and
Pakistan also share close military relations, with China supplying a range of modern
armaments to the Pakistani defense forces. China supports Pakistan's stance
on Kashmir while Pakistan supports China on the issues of Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan.
Military cooperation has deepened with joint projects producing armaments ranging
from fighter jets to guided missile frigates.
Chinese cooperation with Pakistan has reached economic high points, with substantial
Chinese investment in Pakistani infrastructural expansion including the Pakistani deep-water
port at Gwadar. Both countries have an ongoing free trade agreement. Pakistan has served as
China's main bridge between Muslim countries. Pakistan also played an important role in
bridging the communication gap between China and the West by facilitating the 1972 Nixon
visit to China. The relations between Pakistan and China have been described by Pakistan's
ambassador to China as higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans, stronger than
steel, dearer than eyesight, sweeter than honey, and so on.
Background
Pakistan has a long and strong relationship with China. The long-standing ties between the
two countries have been mutually beneficial. A close identity of views and mutual interests
remain the centre-point of bilateral ties. Since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, Pakistan has
supported China on most issues of importance to the latter, especially those related to the
question of China's sovereignty like Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Tibet and other sensitive issues
such as human rights.
The Chinese leadership has acknowledged Pakistan's steadfast support on key issues.
Pakistan helped China in reestablishing formal ties with the West, where they helped make
possible the 1972 Nixon visit to China. Pakistan has collaborated with China in extensive
military and economic projects, seeing China as a counterweight to India and the United
States. Pakistan has also served as a conduit for China's influence in the Muslim world.
China also has a consistent record of supporting Pakistan in regional issues. During the
Pakistan-Indian tensions in 2008, it implied that it would support Pakistan in the event of a

war. Pakistan's military depends heavily on Chinese armaments, and joint projects of both
economic and militaristic importance are ongoing. China has supplied equipment to support
Pakistan's nuclear program, and has provided nuclear technology to Pakistan.
Diplomatic relations
Diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China were established on 21 May 1951, shortly
after the Republic Of China lost power in the Mainland in 1949. While initially ambivalent
towards the idea of a Communist country on its borders, Pakistan hoped that China would
serve as a counterweight to Indian influence. India had recognized China a year before, and
Indian Prime Minister Nehru also hoped for closer relations with the Chinese. However, with
escalating border tensions leading to the 1962 Sino-Indian war, China and Pakistan aligned
with each other in a joint effort to counter perceived Indian encroachment. One year after
China's border war with India, Pakistan ceded the Trans-Karakoram Tract to China to end
border disputes and improve diplomatic relations.
Since then, an informal alliance that initially consisted of joint Indian opposition has grown
into a lasting relationship that has benefited both nations on the diplomatic, economic and
military frontiers. Along with diplomatic support, Pakistan served as a conduit for China to
open up to the West. China has in turn provided extensive economic aid and political support
to Pakistan.
Pakistan's military initially depended almost entirely on American armaments and aid, which
was increased during the covert U.S. support of Islamic militants in the Soviet war in
Afghanistan. America under US President Richard Nixon supported Pakistan in the
1971Bangladesh Liberation War. However, the period following the Soviet withdrawal and
the dissolution of the Soviet Union led indirectly to the increasing realignment of America
with the previously pro-Soviet India. The Pressler Amendment in 1990 suspended all
American military assistance and any new economic aid amidst concerns that Pakistan was
attempting to develop a nuclear weapon. Given the support that Pakistan had given them
during the War in Afghanistan, many Pakistanis saw this as a betrayal that sold out Pakistani
interests in favor of India. This belief was further strengthened as India had developed a
nuclear weapon without significant American opposition, and Pakistan felt obligated to do the
same. Consequently, the primarily geopolitical alliance between Pakistan and China has since
1990 branched out into military and economic cooperation, due to Pakistan's belief that
America's influence and support in the region should be counterbalanced by the Chinese.
With the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, there is a general sentiment in Pakistan to adopt a
foreign policy which favors China over the United States. Washington has been accused
deserting Pakistan in favor of a policy that favors stronger relations with India, while
Pakistan sees China as a more reliable ally over the long term.
Since 9/11, Pakistan has increased the scope of Chinese influence and support by agreeing to
a number of military projects, combined with extensive economic support and investment
from the Chinese. This is partially due to Pakistan's strategy of playing off the two powers
against each other, but also a genuine effort to prevent America's influence in the region from
becoming too strong. In return, the Chinese hope to strengthen Pakistan as a counterbalance
to American and Indian influence.
Military relations
There are strong military ties between People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic

of Pakistan.This alliance between two neighboring Asian nations is significant geo-politically.

The strong military ties primarily aim to counter regional Indian and American influence, and
was also to repel Soviet influence in the area. In recent years this relationship has
strengthened through ongoing military projects and agreements between Pakistan and China.
Since 1962, China has been a steady source of military equipment to the Pakistani Army,
helping establish munitions' factories, providing technological assistance and modernizing
existing facilities.
Most recently, the Chinese Chengdu J-10B fighter was compared to its closest American
counterpart, the Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52/60, the most advanced F-16, for orders on
either aircraft for the Pakistan Air Force, resulting in the wins of the Chinese Chengdu J-10B.
Accordingly, the Chengdu J-10B had more advanced technology such as its radar and OLS
targeting system, and its new generation stealthy features, such as its DSI intake gave it an
edge over the Lockheed Martin F-16.
China and Pakistan are involved in several projects to enhance military and weaponry
systems, which include the development of the Chinese tailor made for Pakistan JF-17
Thunder fighter aircraft, K-8 Karakorum advance training aircraft, a tailor made training
aircraft for the Pakistan Air Force based on the Chinese domestic Hongdu L-15, space
technology, AWACS systems, Al-Khalid tanks, which China granted license production and
tailor made modifications based on the initial Chinese Type 90 and/or MBT-2000. The
Chinese has designed tailor made advanced weapons for Pakistan, making it a strong military
power in the Asian region. The armies have a schedule for organising joint military exercises.
China is the largest investor in Pakistan's Gwadar Deep Sea Port, which is strategically
located at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. It is viewed warily by both America and India
as a possible launch pad for the Chinese Navy, giving them the ability to launch submarines
and warships in the Indian Ocean. However the Gwadar Port is currently delayed due to
a multilateral diplomatic standoff between the project leaders and the Singaporean
government.
China has offered Pakistan military aid in order to fight against terrorism in Pakistan.
Pakistan has purchased military equipment from China in order to bolster their efforts against
Islamic militants.
In the past, China has played a major role in the development of Pakistan's nuclear
infrastructure, especially when increasingly stringent export controls in Western
countries made it difficult for Pakistan to acquire materials and uranium enriching equipment
from elsewhere. China has supplied Pakistan with equipment to advance their nuclear
weapons program, such as the Chinese help in building the Khushab reactor, which plays a
key role in Pakistan's production of plutonium. A subsidiary of the China National Nuclear
Corporation contributed in Pakistan's efforts to expand its uranium enrichment capabilities by
providing 5,000 custom made ring magnets, which are a key component of the bearings that
facilitate the high-speed rotation of centrifuges. China has also provided technical and
material support in the completion of the Chashma Nuclear Power Complex and plutonium
reprocessing facility, which was built in the mid-1990s. China may also have supplied
nuclear technology to the Pakistanis, enabling Pakistan to become a nuclear state with an
estimated 100 warheads as of 2011. China has become increasing concerned about al-Qaeda
linked terrorism originating in Pakistan and is seeking to set up military bases on Pakistani
soil to deal with the problem.

Economic relations
Economic trade between Pakistan and China is increasing at a rapid pace and a free trade
agreement has recently been signed. Military and technological transactions continue to
dominate the economic relationship between the two nations, although in recent years China
has pledged to vastly increase their investment in Pakistan's economy and infrastructure.
Among other things, China has been helping to develop Pakistan's infrastructure through the
building of power plants, roads and communication nodes. Current trade between both
countries is at $9 billion, making China the second largest trade partner of Pakistan.
Both countries are keen on strengthening the economic ties between the two, and have
promised to 'propel' cross-border trade. This has led to investment in Pakistan's nascent
financial and energy sectors, amidst a surge of Chinese investment designed to strengthen
ties. Pakistan has in turn been granted free trade zones in China.
The economic relationship between Pakistan and China is composed primarily of Chinese
investment in Pakistani interests. China's increasing economic clout has enabled a wide
variety of projects to be sponsored in Pakistan through Chinese credit. Pakistani investment
in China is also encouraged, and cross-border trade remains fluid.
In 2011 China Kingho Group canceled a $19 billion mining deal because of security concern.
Views
The support with which China and Pakistan give each other is considered significant in global
diplomacy, and has been compared to Israel United States relations. In 2010, when a US
delegate confronted a Chinese diplomat about Beijing's uncompromising support for
Pakistan, the Chinese reportedly responded with a heavily-loaded sarcastic remark: "Pakistan
is our Israel. You got a problem with that?" According to a Pew survey of Pakistan public
opinion in 2010, 84 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of China and 16
percent had a favorable view of the United States. These results showed that Pakistan is the
most pro-China country in the world. Similarly, the Chinese state-run media has portrayed
Pakistan in a favorable light in regional issues. In 2013, this figure increased to 90% of
Pakistanis having a favorable view of China.]
Pakistan and China have long praised the close ties the two countries have with each other.
China has been referred to by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as their "time-tested and
all-weather friend", while in return Chinese president Hu Jintao has referred to Pakistan as "a
good friend and partner". These statements are noted by some observers as occurring after
Pakistani relations with the United States or India have become strained, such as after Osama
Bin Laden was killed by American forces without Pakistan's prior permission.
Issues
The ETIM is a Waziri based mujahideen organization that is said to be allied with
the Taliban, which has received funding from rogue elements in the ISI. As these militants are
labeled as terrorists from the Chinese province of Xinjiang, Pakistan's inability to prevent this
is a potential source of conflict.
The U.S. War On Terror has the Chinese wary of U.S. influence in the region, and as Pakistan
is a US ally and major recipient of US military and economic aid, China is obligated to step
up its support in order to maintain its influence in the region.
Timeline

Important events:
1950 Pakistan becomes the third non-communist country, and first Muslim one, to
recognize the People's Republic of China.
1951 Beijing and Karachi establish diplomatic relations.
1963 Pakistan cedes the Trans-Karakoram Tract to China, ending border disputes.
1970 Pakistan helps the U.S. arrange the 1972 Nixon visit to China.
1978 The Karakoram Highway linking the mountainous Northern Pakistan with
Western China officially opens.
1980s China and the U.S. provide support through Pakistan to the Afghan guerrillas
fighting Soviet occupational forces.
1986 China and Pakistan reach a comprehensive nuclear co-operation agreement.
1996 Chinese President Jiang Zemin pays a state visit to Pakistan.
1999 A 300-megawatt nuclear power plant, built with Chinese help in Punjab
province, is completed.
2001 A joint-ventured Chinese-Pakistani tank, the MBT-2000 (Al-Khalid) MBT is
completed.
2002 The building of the Gwadar deep sea port begins, with China as the primary
investor.
2003 Pakistan and China signed a $110 million contract for the construction of a
housing project on Multan Road in Lahore
2007 The Sino-Pakistani joint-ventured multirole fighter aircraft the JF-17
Thunder (FC-1 Fierce Dragon) is formally rolled out.
2008 Pakistan welcomes the Chinese Olympic Torch in an Islamabad sports
stadium, under heavy guard amidst security concerns.
2008 China and Pakistan sign a free trade agreement.
2008 Pakistan and China to build a railway through the Karakoram Highway, in
order to link China's rail network to Gwadar Port.
2008 The F-22P frigate, comes into service with the Pakistani Navy.
2009 The ISI arrest several suspected Uyghur terrorists seeking refuge in Pakistan.
2010 Pakistan and China conduct a joint anti-terrorism drill.
2010 China donates $260 million in dollars to flood hit Pakistan and sends 4
military rescue helicopters to assist in rescue operations.
2010 Wen Jiabao visits Pakistan. More than 30 billion dollars worth of deals were
signed.
2011 Pakistan is expected to buy air to air SD 10 missiles from China for its 250 JF
17 thunder fighter fleet

2013 - Management of Gwadar port is handed over to state-run Chinese Overseas Port
Holdings after previously being managed by Singapores PSA International and it
becomes a matter of great concern for India.
2013 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits Pakistan. Trade between China and
Pakistan hit a 12-month figure of $12 billion for the first time in 2012.
PTI and PPP: What Went Wrong?
I must admit one thing: I had never expected around two years ago that Imran Khans
Facebook supporters will actually come out on the polling day and vote. In fact not only they
came out but they actually instilled passion and enthusiasm in the entire election campaign.
Imran has motivated them and touched the raw visceral nerve of the class which previously
has largely been apolitical. His appeal also influenced many of the youngsters from major
urban cities who all came out during the campaign filling huge venues like Minar-e-Pakistan.
Apart from that Imrans influence was also dominant in conservative belt of Khyber
.Pakhtunkhwa(KP)
These three set of demographics formed the core constituency of Imran Khan. Moreover,
another set of voter, has voted for PTI is the PPP voter which in some urban areas of Punjab
has broken away from PPP and instead of voting for PML (N) has ended up either abstaining
or voting for PTI thus throwing the split theory into dust. The split theory postulated that
PPPs vote bank is always constant and therefore a three way race would benefit PPP by
splitting the so called rightwing vote. I will talk at length about the banality of this
.assumption later but first let us discuss PTI
PTI has done what the objective circles were expecting and realistically speaking it is a good
performance. It was expected that in urban Punjab, it will show a strong performance. It has
actually done that though compared to PML N it seems insignificant. It has displaced PPP
completely from the urban Punjab and in almost every major urban constituency has secured
reasonable votes. In Pindi and Islamabad, it has taken almost half of the seats. It has a
majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and while has not taken many seats in Punjab but has
.emerged as the second largest party in terms of popular vote
Even in Karachi, PTI has performed reasonably well and has emerged as the second largest
party behind MQM. Now in Karachi this is amazing performance as without the pressure
.tactics employed by MQM, PTI would have ended up taking two or three seats
Surveys before the elections were predicting that PTI and PPP would receive almost the same
popular vote. The only difference was that it was expected that PPP would win around 55-70
seats whereas PTI would win around 35-40 seats. The difference in the number of seats was
.due to constituency dynamics where PPP was in a better state compared to novice PTI

However, for PTI supporters this is peanuts because they were actually expecting more than
100 seats. Their projections of course did not have any scientific basis and were premised on
what they were witnessing on social media, TV talk shows ( where most of the anchorpersons
.are Pro PTI) and in rallies
No survey ever predicted that PTI would get 100 seats. Yes it was assumed that higher
turnout would benefit PTI. But the surveys had already incorporated that aspect as these had
.asked questions from the likely voters
So why this impression that PTI would sweep Pakistan was so strong in PTI supporters? I
kept on hearing extremely unrealistic assessments from several of my friends who are PTI
!supporters. Some were actually projecting more than 150 seats
Social media and for that matter even electronic media has a tendency to amplify what its
targeted section of the urban middleclass feels and believes in. Since media apparently
reflects opinions, many of us do not really venture to even know WHOSE opinions it is
reflecting. In Pakistan, it is mostly reflecting the mindset of a narrow but affluent section of
society. This section of society is generally educated and believes in concepts like merit and
.rule of law. Corruption in their collective opinion is the major problem of Pakistan
This section of the society is largely residing in the large urban metropolises like Karachi,
Lahore, Pindi, Islamabad and Peshawar. Of course not everyone falling into this category is
identical to each other but since politics eventually deals with collectives therefore by and
.large this class has certain morals and adhere to a particular narrative
Many belonging to this segment in individual capacity saw literally everyone they knew jump
on the Imran Khan bandwagon. It gave this collective impression that perhaps majority of
Pakistan had fallen for PTI. Big rallies, fully covered by media in the urban centers also
solidified this impression. There is absolutely NO doubt that PTI was gaining popularity but
the assumption that it had become the most popular party fully capable of winning majority
.was highly misplaced
Moreover, PTI supporters largely saw each other and their immediate surroundings and had
this perception bias that everyone was supporting PTI. The reality was that perhaps everyone
in their own vicinity was supporting PTI. Most of the Facebook users were supporting PTI
!!but Pakistan is much larger than Facebook
In Lahore which has been a PML N stronghold, PTI was popular in areas like DHA, Gulberg,
Askari, Johar Town etc. To the residents of such areas PTI had a very pronounced physical
presence which could not escape their eyes. But even within these affluent areas, there were
pockets where PML N was strong but of course those pockets were oblivious to them.
Generally small retailers, traders and many from the lower middleclass were supporting PML
.N. And it is this support, which enabled PML N to eventually still win in the cities

Moreover, there was a media hype that an overwhelming majority of young voters would be
voting for PTI. The point is that just because Imrans city rallies contained a large number of
young people did not mean that all young people in the cities and more importantly in smaller
cities and rural areas would also vote for PTI. There was no scientific basis for making such a
.claim except the urban perception bias
In addition, Pakistan is a very diverse country and a huge majority thinks very differently
from those who support PTI . In fact a huge majority has very different problems than what is
being articulated in the media. In our media, the entire discourse is dominated by the words
corruption, merit and national sovereignty Many of the PTI supporters also keep on
talking about Imrans honesty and sincerity and corruption of PML N and PPP leaders.
However, for voters ( other than PTI) this may not be the first concern of life. When a party
tries to expand its reach, it has to connect with various demographics including those who
may not have corruption as the most important priority. PTIs error has been to just
. concentrate too much on the urban middleclass values
In rural areas, Imran needed strong candidates also. They did join initially but later many left
PTI as the party was under pressure to only keep clean people. Some still remained but
momentum in rural areas had shifted towards PML (N) after the by-elections (on 7 seats) in
November 2012 which PML (N) won comfortably. Most of the strong candidates started to
.flock towards PML (N) after by-elections
In addition, Imran also made pledges that he will not allocate funds to MNAs as their job is
legislation. Now this is principally a right thing to say but given our culture in rural areas
where MNAs are elected for ensuring access to state resources, such pledges can really
.backfire
PTI has started to allege about rigging. In my opinion on some seats it may have taken place.
Seats like NA 250, NA 122, NA 125 need to be investigated as several irregularities have
been reported. However to assume that entire PML N victory over PTI was rigged is frankly
stretching it too much. Outside urban middleclass colonies, it is PML (N) which is more
.popular. In rural areas also, it is much more firmly entrenched
PTI has a future if the base remains committed and Imran is able to reach out to more diverse
set of people other than the urban middleclass in urban Punjab, Karachi and KP. His
supporters have to realize that mass success occurs when masses are engaged without giving
them vibes of alienation. I have personally heard some of my friends using derogatory words
for masses like Jahil awam. This kind of condescending attitude wont help the masses to
.warm up to PTI
If PTI remain s active as opposition and remains visible, there is every chance that it will gain
.in
strength
With respect to PPP, first of all let me admit that I would have voted for PPP had I been in
Pakistan. Despite being a PPP supporter, my candid opinion is it has shown a dismal

performance. With the advantage of the hindsight it can be concluded that its leaders just like
.PTI supporters completely misjudged the situation
In urban areas, it has been a rout. In fact all across Pakistan except rural Sindh the party has
.been
decimated
One of the most banal and over simplistic assumption which PPP believed was that PTI
would end up bolstering its prospects in Punjab. The central idea about this split vote was the
over confident assumption that PPPs own vote remains constant and therefore Imran Khan
would split PML (N)s vote. This nave assumption even overlooked the fact that millions
were going to vote for the first time and first time voter can be categorized as anyones vote
bank. Moreover, it was simply assumed that the split would be from PML (N) to PTI. The
fact that could actually split occur of PPP own vote bank never crossed their minds. Rather
.than reaching out to people, the reliance was on this split theory
In addition, PPP was badly hurt by crippling power crisis. More than anything else, daily
power cuts were a constant reminder to people of all walks to life about incompetency of the
PPP government. In Punjab during summers power cuts were up to 12 hours and in rural up
.to 18 hours. Such power cuts literally affected all walks of life and in the end cost PPP dearly
The media also never gave PPP any respite and relentlessly criticized it. Even achievement s
of PPP like 18th amendment and improved NFC award were completely ignored. Constant
tussle of PPP with Judiciary also occupied PPP towards ensuring its survival rather than
.giving attention to more pressing problems
PPPs strategy to push the issue of Seraiki province also did not yield the desired results. In
fact PPP was confident that it would sweep Southern Punjab. However, it badly lost there
also. The crisis of governance and electricity shortages completely defeated their strategy of
.extracting political mileage out of new province slogan
But the worst problem turned out to be Presidents repute. Now Asif Ali Zardari was an asset
in some ways due to his brilliant Machiavellian political acumen. He literally ensured partys
survival. But electorally he proved to be the ideal punch bag. In fact, all the dissatisfaction
from PPP was directed at his persona and he was held personally responsible for all the major
.problems. Media was always at him and some of the anchorpersons were literally vicious
For PPP, the challenge is huge. It has to realize that it can no longer continue to extract
mileage out of Bhutto name. It also needs to realize that it has to have a future in urban areas
because the demographics are changing and if it does not come up with a way to capture the
imagination of urban voter, it will be rendered completely irrelevant. And above all it needs
.to remember that a government needs to properly govern also