Beijing has to carefully balance between its longtime partner and its regional rival if it wants to keep its interests safe
As tensions flare once again between India and Pakistan following a deadly attack in Kashmir last week, China is trying to balance between the two sides. It is being squeezed between strong commitments toward Islamabad and interest in developing economic cooperation and reviving relations with New Delhi.
In response to the bloodshed and the rapid escalation of tensions in the region, Beijing called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, resolve the conflict peacefully, and work jointly for regional peace and stability. Such rhetoric belongs to China’s usual diplomatic repertoire, reflecting an emphasis on predictability and stability, enabling Beijing to promote its economic interests and continue conducting business wherever possible. Quite often, rhetoric does not translate into concrete actions as Beijing remains committed to a non-alignment policy and does not want to be dragged into conflicts between third parties.
Vocalizing principles of peaceful coexistence, China hesitates to become an active security and military player at the international level. Indeed, an active role brings not only benefits but also considerable risks. China would run the risk of losing the image of a peaceful power with an aversion to hegemony, power politics, and traditional great power competition. At the same time, Chinese neutrality often brings positive implications for one of the conflicting sides. One can hardly overlook that Islamabad, rather than New Delhi, benefits more from China’s neutrality in the current situation.
Although China strongly condemned the attack in Pahalgam, it offered no assistance to India and did not accept New Delhi’s interpretation of the events. Instead of embracing the allegations linking Pakistan with the attack, Beijing supported the Pakistani government’s call for a swift and fair investigation. Talking to his Pakistani counterpart on April 27, Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted that China understood the legitimate security concerns of its ‘ironclad friends’ in Islamabad, supporting Pakistan in safeguarding sovereignty and security. Wang’s comments indicate that Beijing remains very serious about the commitments toward Islamabad and reserved in relation to India.
This position has historical and geopolitical reasons. India and Pakistan have had serious disagreements since the partition of India in 1947. The two sides have been engaged in several rounds of military confrontation since then. Territorial claims are one of the sources of hostility. Kashmir has been divided between India, Pakistan and China, which provokes a certain frustration in each of the three capitals. No less importantly, Pakistan ceded some territories to China in 1963, which has not been recognized by India. While the agreement became at the time an important moment in deepening ties between Islamabad and Beijing, it only widened the gap between New Delhi and Beijing. Through this prism, China can hardly be accepted by the Indian side as an intermediary and neutral actor in the present conflict. Beijing’s involvement in the problem is too strong, whether China realizes it or not.
China’s position in the ‘triangle’ is complicated by the fact that Pakistan has gradually turned into Beijing’s closest strategic partner. The scope of bilateral cooperation is wide and goes far beyond what is typical of the relationship between China on the one hand and India and other regional players on the other hand. When Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, the Sino-Pakistani economic corridor (CPEC) became one of the flagship projects of the Chinese global initiative. It enabled Beijing to get direct access to the Arabian Sea via Gwadar Port and strengthen its position in that strategic area. The Sino-Pakistani cooperation within the CPEC was perceived very negatively in India, even more so because some projects were implemented in the disputed territories in Kashmir. New Delhi is concerned by close defense and military relations between Islamabad and Beijing, as China has become the country’s largest arms supplier and the two sides agreed on joint training, military technology transfers, and intelligence sharing.
Geopolitical and geoeconomic motives drive China’s stake in Pakistan. The partnership with Islamabad helps Beijing to exert pressure on New Delhi and counterweight India’s growing regional ambitions. At the same time, a strong and stable India does not necessarily contradict China’s interests. Despite mistrust and disagreements, India is one of China’s top trading partners. India’s domestic market creates huge opportunities for Chinese exporters, and the presence of Chinese investors in the country has been strong for a long time. Paradoxically, the conflict between India and Pakistan comes at a moment when Sino-Indian relations have been warming. The two countries have recently agreed on de-escalating border tensions and resuming joint border patrols and direct flights. The conflict in Kashmir could reverse this trend.
Although the Sino-Indian relations have fluctuated between cautious cooperation and military clashes, China might be receptive to India’s concerns in the ongoing conflict for several reasons. New Delhi is actively dealing with the threat posed by terrorism and Islamist groupings. Beijing also feels threatened by terrorism and Islamist-linked separatism in Xinjiang. Similarly, India’s bid for stabilization of and control over Kashmir is similar to Beijing’s approach to Xinjiang and other border regions. That is why both China and India are interested in countering actors who challenge the central authorities in Beijing and New Delhi, respectively. Moreover, China has already experienced direct attacks on its citizens in Pakistan, during which dozens of them were killed. Therefore, siding with the Pakistani government could challenge Beijing’s position as a staunch fighter against extremism and terrorism.
China has a vested interest in ensuring that the region does not become a hotbed of extremism or great power rivalry. Instability in Kashmir or Pakistan’s tribal regions poses a direct threat to China’s internal stability and its western frontier. A war between India and Pakistan would cause serious damage to China as it would endanger the CPEC, destabilize Xinjiang, and potentially draw in other global actors, undermining Beijing’s long-term regional ambitions.
At the same time, the current crisis creates an opportunity for Beijing and Washington to engage with each other constructively to help resolve the situation, as both India and Pakistan are traditionally important partners of the US. While China and the US have already adopted the same political stance, the chance to actively align on this matter and take active steps has not been used yet.
