ABSTRACT
China–Pakistan relations are centuries old. What makes this relationship special is the historical and geopolitical situation in the Indian Subcontinent. Ever since the 1962 war that was fought between China and India, Pakistan–China bonhomie has been on the rise. This chapter hence focuses on the roots of the relationship which provides the bedrock for the strategic engagement between these two countries, who believe that “an enemy’s enemy is a friend.” The contours of the engagement are multifaceted and multidimensional, yet the key motivating factor is the fact that China desires a global push to its ambitions through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Hence, this chapter demonstrates clearly that Pakistan, which has few benefactors, is merely one pawn in China’s great global chess game.
