STRADDLING SUPERPOWERS: PAKISTAN’S STRATEGIC BALANCING AMID US-CHINA RIVALRY

Abstract

This research paper examines how Pakistan’s foreign policy toward its neighbors, primarily India, Afghanistan, and Iran is changing due to the increasing competition between the US and China. the study indicates that US-China relations involve complex aspects of political, economic, and military cooperation with Pakistan located at the crossroads of the world’s two largest powers. This research highlights Pakistan’s effort to strike a careful balance between its traditional association with the US and its growing cooperation with China, as illustrated by CPEC. This study also looks at Pakistan's weakening relationship with its neighbors, highlighting the tense relations with Iran, the growing hostilities with India after Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked, and the unstable circumstances in Afghanistan. In doing so, this paper sheds light on the complex geopolitical context pertinent to the current paper’s issue, the understanding of which is highly critical for policymakers, academicians, and other stakeholders interested in analyzing the evolution of global power and its implications for regional stability and economic partnership. This research article also makes a meaningful conclusion to summarize the entire discussion.