Islamabad, Pakistan – As Pakistan sought to defend itself towards Indian missiles and drones launched at its army bases and cities in early Might, it relied on an unlikely mixture of property: Chinese language missiles and air defence; Chinese language and United States fighter jets; and US diplomacy.
The missiles, air defence and jets helped Pakistan thwart any devastating hits on its airbases and declare it had introduced down multiple Indian fighter planes – an assertion that India has neither confirmed nor denied.
The diplomacy sealed a ceasefire that Pakistan has publicly welcomed and thanked the Donald Trump administration for.
But, because the US has in recent times more and more picked India over Pakistan as its principal South Asian companion, Pakistan this week labored to reassure China that Beijing remained its most coveted ally.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who additionally serves as overseas minister, visited Beijing earlier this week, assembly his Chinese language counterpart Wang Yi on Might 20 within the first high-profile abroad go to by a Pakistani chief because the ceasefire.
In response to an announcement from the Pakistani Ministry of International Affairs, the 2 sides mentioned the fallout of the transient however intense battle with India, the ceasefire, and Islamabad’s criticism of New Delhi’s actions.
Through the assembly with Wang, Dar highlighted India’s “unilateral and unlawful choice” to droop the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a six-decade water-sharing settlement. India halted the accord following the April 22 Pahalgam assault in Indian-administered Kashmir, which left 26 individuals lifeless. Delhi blamed the assault on Pakistan-based armed teams, an allegation Islamabad denies.
Wang, in the meantime, welcomed the ceasefire, describing it as serving the “elementary and long-term pursuits of each side [India and Pakistan]” whereas selling regional peace.
Deputy Prime Minister/International Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, held in-depth consultations with the International Minister of China, Wang Yi, right this moment in Beijing.
Each side exchanged views on evolving state of affairs in South Asia, future trajectory of Pakistan-China… pic.twitter.com/mL03ljzyFr
— Ministry of International Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 20, 2025
Getting Wang on board was important for Pakistan, say analysts.
‘Energy wrestle in South Asia’
With South Asia sitting on a tinderbox throughout the current Pakistan-India standoff, a larger geopolitical contest loomed within the background.
Pakistan, as soon as a key US ally, has shifted decisively into China’s orbit, counting on its northwestern neighbour closely for financial and army assist.
In the meantime, India, lengthy identified for its non-alignment coverage, has leaned nearer to the US in recent times as a part of a method to counter China’s rising affect.
Shahid Ali, an assistant professor of worldwide relations at Lahore School for Girls College, who specialises in Pakistan-China relations, stated the timing and optics of Dar’s go to had been vital.
“Whereas Pakistan hoped to get China’s full diplomatic assist for its battle with India, particularly concerning the suspension of the IWT, the go to additionally offered Dar a superb alternative to apprise China about US-led ceasefire dynamics, additionally reassuring them of Pakistan’s longstanding all-weather strategic partnership,” Ali informed Al Jazeera.
Erum Ashraf, a UK-based scholar targeted on Pakistan-China ties and the China-Pakistan Financial Hall (CPEC) – a $62bn mega mission launched a decade in the past – echoed this view.
She stated the assembly allowed China to raised perceive what guarantees Pakistan might have made to the US and President Trump, who helped mediate the ceasefire.
“The Chinese language should be involved how Pakistan managed to achieve President Trump’s assist to speak of ceasefire and to even supply to resolve the matter of Kashmir between each nations. The Chinese language fear how US affect of their again yard may affect their curiosity within the area,” she informed Al Jazeera.
CPEC stays a cornerstone
Pakistan’s former ambassador to China, Masood Khalid, referred to as Beijing a “logical” first cease for Islamabad’s efforts to make use of diplomacy to push its narrative in regards to the disaster with India within the aftermath of the ceasefire.
He famous that past the current India-Pakistan army confrontation, the China-Pakistan Financial Hall remained a key pillar of bilateral cooperation.
“The overseas minister might apprise the Chinese language facet of the safety steps which Pakistan has taken for Chinese language nationals’ safety,” Khalid informed Al Jazeera.
Certainly, based on the Chinese language Ministry of International Affairs, Wang prodded each nations to work collectively to create an “upgraded model of the China-Pakistan Financial Hall.”
CPEC, launched in 2015 beneath then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the elder brother of present Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has been hailed as a “game-changer” for Pakistan.
It’s a key element of China’s formidable Belt and Street Initiative (BRI), an enormous community of roads, bridges and ports unfold throughout practically 100 nations that Beijing hopes will recreate the traditional Silk Street commerce routes linking Europe and Asia.
Nevertheless, CPEC has confronted repeated delays, particularly in Balochistan, the place its crown jewel, the Gwadar Port, is situated.
Separatist teams in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest however poorest province, have lengthy waged an armed revolt towards the state and have repeatedly hit Chinese language personnel and installations, accusing them of benefitting from the province’s huge pure assets.
In response to Pakistani authorities figures, practically 20,000 Chinese language nationals dwell within the nation. At the least 20 have been killed since 2021 in varied assaults in numerous elements of Pakistan.
Whereas Pakistan’s International Ministry didn’t point out it explicitly, the Chinese language assertion quoted Dar as saying his nation would make each effort to “guarantee the security of Chinese language personnel, initiatives and establishments in Pakistan”.
Muhammad Faisal, a South Asia safety researcher on the College of Know-how Sydney, stated the security of Chinese language nationals stays Beijing’s “topmost concern”.
“Even because the disaster with India heightened, the presence of a lot of Chinese language nationals in Pakistan, in some methods, compelled Beijing to hunt swift disaster de-escalation,” he informed Al Jazeera.
‘China’s high-wire act’
Between April 22, when the Pahalgam assault occurred, and Might 7, when India struck targets inside Pakistani territory, a world diplomatic effort was quietly beneath approach to de-escalate tensions between the 2 nuclear-armed nations.
Throughout this era, the US initially confirmed little curiosity in direct involvement whereas China, initially, additionally was gradual to get entangled.
China, which has a traditionally tense relationship with Delhi that suffered additional after their troops clashed within the Galwan Valley of Ladakh in 2020, finally urged restraint from each side.
Nevertheless, many observers felt China’s place was seen as missing neutrality on account of its closeness with Pakistan.
Faisal stated China is more likely to keep its present “high-wire act”, acknowledging Pakistan’s safety issues whereas persevering with to name for calm on each side.
He added that whereas the US was the lead mediator for the ceasefire, Beijing double-tapped Washington by calling each Islamabad and New Delhi to dial down tensions.
“A lesson Beijing realized is that its present restrained public posturing opened up diplomatic house to have interaction with interlocutors in each Islamabad and New Delhi, even supposing the latter views its position with scepticism,” he stated.
Ashraf, the UK-based educational, stated India didn’t view China as a “impartial umpire” in its disputes with Pakistan – though New Delhi and Beijing have in current months tried to reset their ties, pulling troops again from contested border factors and ramping up diplomatic efforts to calm tensions.
“India and China have solely not too long ago achieved a breakthrough of their strained border relations, which maybe helps to clarify China’s preliminary ‘palms off’ behaviour with Pakistan after Pahalgam,” she stated.
However in the end, she stated, China must “steadiness a tightrope”: It doesn’t need to “upset relations with India”, but it surely additionally wants to assist Pakistan sufficient that it doesn’t “collapse within the face of India’s assaults”.
That’s a steadiness China managed to strike efficiently in early Might. With Dar’s go to to Beijing, say analysts, Pakistan – which additionally benefitted from US diplomatic intervention – tried to repay the favour.
