China and shifting geopolitics        Author: Zahid Hussain

Summary:

The article highlights how China is increasingly becoming the lodestar of shifting global politics, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s whirlwind tour to India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan showcasing Beijing’s growing clout. His stop in Islamabad reaffirmed Pakistan’s status as China’s “iron brother,” as both sides reviewed defence, economic, and connectivity ties under the all-important CPEC framework. With Pakistan’s four-day skirmish with India underscoring the dividends of Sino-Pak defence cooperation, Beijing’s financial and political backing remains a lifeline for Islamabad. But the article also shows the security threats to Chinese workers in Balochistan and KP, along with the need for Pakistan to hammer out a long-term, well-defined trade policy with its largest investor.

The article captures the bigger chessboard where US-India relations have hit rock bottom under Trump’s tariff blitz, pushing New Delhi into a tactical thaw with Beijing. Prime Minister Modi’s decision to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China, alongside leaders like Xi Jinping, Putin, and Shehbaz Sharif, underlines the new equations shaping the region. China, while grappling with its own trade war with Washington, is not playing a zero-sum game but rather weaving a web of multipolar alliances. The article concludes that Pakistan, caught between transactional ties with the US and a time-tested but security-stressed partnership with China, must tread carefully, or else risk being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea in this era of global realignments.

Overview:

The article dissects China’s growing centrality in South Asian and global geopolitics. It explains how Wang Yi’s visits reaffirmed Beijing’s deep ties with Pakistan, hinted at an easing of icy India-China relations, and signaled regional cooperation despite turbulence. It highlights the dual nature of Sino-Pak relations, built on strong defence and expanding economic ties but strained by security threats to CPEC projects. Simultaneously, it shows how India once America’s counterweight to China is recalibrating after Trump’s tariff war, setting the stage for broader multipolar cooperation at platforms like SCO.

NOTES:

The article discusses how China has become a central player in South Asian and global geopolitics, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visits to Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan underscoring Beijing’s growing influence. His stop in Islamabad reaffirmed strong Sino-Pak ties, covering defence cooperation and the economic dimension through the second phase of CPEC, which now includes agriculture, mining, and industrial development. The article stresses that while China remains Pakistan’s largest investor and strategic ally, security threats to Chinese workers in Balochistan and KP remain a pressing concern. At the same time, the article highlights the transactional nature of Pakistan’s improving relations with the US, urging caution due to the unpredictability of Trump’s policies. On the regional front, India’s deteriorating ties with Washington, particularly after the imposition of 50 percent tariffs on its exports, have pushed New Delhi towards rapprochement with China. Modi’s decision to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China, alongside leaders like Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Shehbaz Sharif, reflects shifting regional alignments and the growing importance of multipolar cooperation in an era of global disorder.

Relevant CSS syllabus or subjects:

• Current Affairs: Changing South Asian geopolitics, Pak-China ties, India-US tensions, CPEC developments
• International Relations: Multipolarity, balance of power, regional alliances, trade wars
• Pakistan Affairs: CPEC’s second phase,
• Pak-China strategic partnership, security concerns in Balochistan and KP
• Essay Paper: China’s rise, US-China trade war, multipolar world order, Pakistan’s foreign policy balancing act

Notes for Beginners:

The article says China is becoming more powerful in South Asia and the world. The Chinese foreign minister visited India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to strengthen ties. For Pakistan, China is the closest friend, supporting defence, trade, and CPEC projects. For example, China is investing billions in Pakistan’s agriculture and mining. But militants in Balochistan have attacked Chinese workers which worries Beijing. On the other hand Pakistan has also improved ties with the US, but Trump’s policies are risky because they change suddenly. India is trying to improve relations with China by joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting after facing high tariffs from the US.

Facts and Figures:

• China is Pakistan’s largest investor under CPEC, worth billions of dollars.
• Pakistan’s four-day conflict with India highlighted Sino-Pak’s defence cooperation.
• Trump slapped 50 percent tariffs on Indian exports to the US in 2025, one of the highest globally.
• India imports Russian oil, accounting for 25 percent of its tariff penalty.
• The SCO summit in China is to be attended by over 20 countries, including Xi, Putin, Modi, and Shehbaz Sharif.

To sum up, the article suggests that China is now the pivot around which South Asian geopolitics turn. Pakistan’s partnership with Beijing remains its strongest card, but it must also navigate Washington’s unpredictable overtures and internal security flaws. India’s estrangement from the US and rapprochement with China mark a seismic shift in regional alignments, while platforms like SCO showcase the growing clout of the Global South. The article makes it clear that Pakistan cannot afford to put all its eggs in one basket. It must strike a fine balance, safeguard its internal stability, and leverage China’s rise wisely, or else risk becoming a pawn in the great power game.

Difficult Words with Meanings, Synonyms and Antonyms

• Acrimony: Bitterness in speech or relations. Synonym: hostility. Antonym: harmony
• Impetuousness: Acting without thought. Synonym: recklessness. Antonym: caution
• Transactional: Based on practical exchange, not long-term trust. Synonym: pragmatic. Antonym: principled
• Pivotal: Of central importance. Synonym: crucial. Antonym: trivial
• Repercussion: An unintended consequence. Synonym: fallout. Antonym: cause