The American diplomatic magazine "The National Interest" published an article titled "How China and Pakistan Are Pushing Back Against India - The high degree of military integration between Pakistan and China, and their readiness to continue threatening New Delhi's position in multiple areas."
Since August 2019, the China-Pakistan military partnership driven mainly by shared competition with India has found new geopolitical logic. India's recent 'Operation Vermilion' and Pakistan's military response reflect the depth and quality of bilateral exchanges between Pakistan and China. These relationships are maturing and may soon prove decisive. The window for New Delhi to escape this trap is closing.
The geopolitical convergence and military cooperation between China and Pakistan can be traced back to the 1960s, with the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict being a turning point for the China-Pakistan partnership. In 1963, Pakistan and China signed a border agreement, ceding 5,180 square kilometers of Kashmir territory to China, symbolizing future mutual alignment. Currently, India's long-term territorial conflicts with both China and Pakistan highlight the structural situation of challenges on two fronts.
In recent years, various geopolitical developments have consolidated the strategic logic of the China-Pakistan military relationship. This includes India's "territorial reorganization" through domestic legislation in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019; strained relations between India and China due to the Galwan crisis in May 2020; the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021; and finally, the great power competition between the U.S. and China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The quality and quantity of China-Pakistan military cooperation have undergone significant changes. Due to existing structural convergence, the China-Pakistan military relationship is described as a "threshold alliance"—an alliance without formal treaties but with no restrictions on cooperation. This arrangement aims to share burdens and promote the aggregation and pooling of capabilities against India.
Former Pakistani Army Commander Qamar Bajwa described China and Pakistan as "comrades-in-arms." This relationship is closely related to the Chinese People's Liberation Army's goal of transforming itself into a "world-class" force by 2049. To achieve this, the PLA is helping change the organizational and capability foundation of Pakistan's armed forces to establish its reputation as an effective balancer against India.
In terms of procurement and military modernization, Pakistan has obtained relatively affordable systems from China and received financial benefits in defense procurement bills. From 2020 to 2024, nearly 63% of China's exported weapons were delivered to Pakistan, and weapons imported from China account for 81% of Pakistan's total imports.
China has embraced the concept of multi-domain warfare (MDW) to enhance conventional capabilities through the integration of information, cyber, and space domains for operational purposes. It involves integrated actions where all forces and components coordinate. To achieve higher levels of combat in warfare, Pakistan is striving to embrace MDW. Since 2013, China has been providing Pakistan with access to BeiDou satellite navigation to improve ISR capabilities and 5G communication networks to enhance non-contact warfare capabilities. The PLA Information Support Force also collaborates closely with the Pakistani military to increase its technical knowledge in multi-domain battlefield operations. This cooperation will enhance Pakistan's ability to execute agile, high-intensity kinetic and non-kinetic offensive actions against India's military and civilian infrastructure.
The concept of interoperability depends on achieving two key elements: standardization of processes such as logistics, training, and network-centric warfare, as well as compatibility of personnel and environments, aiming to achieve joint actions under military emergencies as part of joint operational plans. For this purpose, China and Pakistan have already conducted a series of joint exercises involving armies, air forces, and navies.
The realization of China-Pakistan military cooperation far exceeds the logic of geopolitical signals in the post-Cold War era. For India, the threat is imminent, severe, and real-time. Pakistan has not only gained capabilities with China's support but also acquired the willingness to challenge India's military strength. Operation Vermilion is a serious wake-up call, and India needs to pay close attention to the details of the maturation of the China-Pakistan military partnership. The Indian military needs to cooperate with partners like the United States to strengthen its planning and overall readiness. The ultimate goal should be to develop more comprehensive capability and contingency plans to take effective countermeasures and thereby strengthen New Delhi's strategic posture.
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834860259408912/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's views.