By: Rana Irfan Rafi
For the past many decades, Pakistan and China share one of the most unique and warm friendships around the world. This relationship dates back to May 21, 1951, when Pakistan became the first Muslim County to acknowledge China by commencing diplomatic ties with it. This was critical because the rest of the world had a tough time coping with the impact of the second World War. Many, including Pakistan, adopted the stance of neutrality and were overly cautious not to provoke the emerging Communist China. During that time, it was a bold approach for a country of western Bloc dominated Communism. The risk that Pakistan’s PM also took during this period of uncertainty was huge; removing Taiwan from the picture meant dealing with Beijing. This was the first step weening away from colonial dependency and setting the course of foreign policy, an almost a radical notion for developing countries at that time.
The 1962 Sino-Indian War is seen as a turning point for this issue. Pakistan was able to engage with China in a more conducive way given her neutrality in the Indo-China conflict. Both countries concluded a border treaty in 1963 to settle the disputes in the Karakoram area. The treaty served as a trust-building and confidence-restoring measure between the two countries. Thereafter, work on the colossal Karakoram Highway was initiated, which was an unprecedented construction project that linked communication between the two countries through a road in the mountain ranges. The highway was completed in 1978 and became a symbol of the two countries turning mutual antagonistic geographical hurdles into pathways for positive joint economic growth.
During the 1970’s, Pakistan was also very pivotal in facilitating China’s integration to the international community. One of the most significant happenings during this period is the secret visit of U.S. State Secretary Henry Kissinger to China in 1971, which was made through Pakistan. This paved the way for the first official visit of President Richard Nixon to China in 1972, formally initiating US-China relations.
Pakistan played a crucial role in establishing these relations due to China becoming their partner. There was an increase in military relations between Pakistan & China during this time as well. China started supporting Pakistan which included providing them military aid in the form of fighter jets and tanks and other defense articles. Joint defense production practices had begun at this time, which later progressed into the collaboration of the development of the JF-17 thunder fighter jet symbol.
Relations with China in the 90’s remained one of the few stable relationships Pakistan had considering China was tackling several international matters at the same time. In addition to Pakistan supporting Taiwan and Tigray’s claim regarding China, China supported Pakistan for the Kashmir dispute. The two countries shared intelligence, military training, and technology with each other-escalating their collaborative efforts. A shift in the level of economic relationship occurred in 2006 when the two countries signed a free trade agreement which spurred trade and economic interchange between the two countries. This particular agreement marked the onset of advanced collaboration forming the foundation for larger future undertakings. The friendship entered a new dimension in 2015 with the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan where he inaugurated the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during his visit. Integrating China and Pakistan within a single infrastructure belt, CPEC became one of the flagship initiatives under the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) sponsoring over 60 billion dollar of investments into it. Its aims includes construction of roads, increase the number of power plants, and establish economic zones throughout Pakistan.
The construction of Gwadar Port in Baluchistan was part of CPEC Projects which would enable China better access to the Arabian sea and decrease its reliance on long shipping routes via Southeast Asia. Other projects include the construction of power plants, highways, and upgrading railways for coal, wind, solar, and hydropower. These developments provided employment opportunities and improved rural infrastructure while alleviating Pakistan’s electricity shortages. With the expansion of CPEC, India also enhanced its military and economic cooperation with Pakistan’s trading and defense partner adapting to the developed infrastructure. Under the CPEC program, China became the largest trading partner of Pakistan, supplying advanced defense technology. China funded the higher education of thousands of Pakistani students in Chinese universities.
At the onset of the COVID outbreak in 2020, China was among the first countries to provide Pakistan with testing kits and medical supplies. This support, along with the provision of vaccines, undeniably fortified their bond amid global turmoil when Pakistan offered to support China during international frictions where certain nations attempted to vilify China regarding the pandemic’s origin. The second phase of CPEC started in 2023, focusing more on agriculture, information technology, education, and health care. For added sustainable economic growth in the long term, additional development projects were implemented for railway transportation in Pakistan and industrial activities were expanded. During this time, both parties developed their military mutual relations further by establishing new defense treaties and engaging in regular joint exercises. They supported each other’s position globally by working together in international bodies like the UN, SCO, and OIC to strengthen one another’s global position. In early 2025, Pakistan and China’s relations underwent another strain when a new round of conflict erupted between Pakistan and India over Kashmir. This short, yet fierce, war sparked international concern due to the nuclear capabilities of both nations.
During this difficult time, China maintained exemplary support to Pakistan. Even without sending troops or engaging in the fighting directly, China issued strong statements that bolstered the Pakistani side. China urged restraint on Indian action and bolstered its military posture on the India-China border to showcase that its regional stakes were getting jeopardized. Aside from offering diplomatic backing, China deepened economic relations with Pakistan by resorting to advanced military aid, assisting in economic spying during strife, and guaranteeing swift help. China shouldering this drone support eased the tensions on Pakistan significantly and further strengthened the alliance of the two countries. The Chinese relations were still established by 2025 but were rapidly developing. The friendship evolved into a strategic partnership on collaboration regarding defense, diplomacy, economy, technology, culture, and many other disciplines. The bond remained resilient for Ever since diplomatically recognizing Pakistan in 1951 enduring regional troubles together was Pakistan’s strong ally in 2025. In this regard, China did take initiative in showcasing the shared visions of developing the region by constructing CPEC, Karakoram Highway and Gwadar Port. Regardless of any global or regional conflict, both countries have defended each other without hesitation.
The nature of their collaboration is at times described in a more poetic manner: “higher than mountains, deeper than oceans, and sweeter than honey.” This goes to illustrate the political bonds while capturing the sentiments of the people of the country. Despite of global conflicts, wars, and other occurrences, Pakistan and China’s relationship has only grown stronger, proving that some partnerships do stand the test of time.
the author is associated with SDPI as project assistant and can be reached at irfanrafi@sdpi.org
