China’s tighter embrace of Pak worrisome

China has been helping thePakistan Army build its defence infrastructure, besides providing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), setting up communication towers and laying underground cables along the Line of Control, officials sources as well observers of the border situation have stated. This has a double purpose as far as the Chinese are concerned as it would serve not only China’s interests but also those of Pakistan. The latter is always trying to needle India despite its precarious financial and political conditions and gets alarmingly united at all levels in its anti-India activities.

It should be noted that the Pakistan Army and ISI have not stopped trying to pry open our tight borders through its non-State actors even now. In fact, the dicier the situation gets for Pakistan domestically and internationally, the more its rulers try to attack India to divert people’s attention. The irony is that those in power join hands with those deposed in the process. Pakistan’s confidence stems from the fact that at least three countries are there to support it come what may – Saudi Arabia (financially), Turkiye (morally) and China (militarily).

It is not naive to presume so, but some simple plain speaking. These three have stood by Pakistan time and again against Indian interests. So, it does not come as a surprise that China is now strengthening Pakistan militarily in the guise of its business interests. China needs Pakistan as a fulcrum of its anti-India policy. Both Pak occupied Kashmir land as well as other lands in Pakistan are slowly being occupied by Chinese businesses which in turn give way to Chinese army operations.

The Chinese enclaves in Pakistan are being strengthened militarily on the pretext of securing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPAEC) road and hydel projects built in the occupied territory. It is now confirmed that, along the Line of Control, China has deployed the recently developed SH-15, a 155 mm truck-mounted howitzer gun.

It was in fact, displayed on Pakistan Day in 2022. Chinese firm North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco) has been contracted to supply 236 SH-15s. The Chinese are also establishing other infrastructure along the LoC, Janes Defence Magazine has disclosed recently. It is against this background that the new Indo-US defence deals should be viewed.

Though Russia is the prime supplier of weapons to India, we need a higher level of technical collaboration in certain areas and the Biden-Modi bonhomie has led to the important deal now. The leaders of the United States and India have announced agreements to accelerate defence industrial co-operation including the potential joint production of General Electric (GE) F414 engines for future combat aircraft.

A keystone of the accords is a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The US also confirmed New Delhi’s plans to procure General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9B high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

While the current status of the China-Pakistan relationship meets the conditions of a threshold alliance, a full-fledged future alliance may not be consummated, potentially due to China’s own missteps it is felt. Still, India needs to update itself on every Chinese move and counter it, using both the US and Russia and other

allies.