Pakistan's mediation bid in West Asia conflict strains ties with China: Report

Although China has not publicly voiced concern over Pakistan's mediation efforts during the West Asia conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, Beijing's diplomatic response reflected clear unease, a report said on Wednesday.

According to think tank 'Politeia Research Foundation', Pakistani Defence Minister Ishaq Dar's recent visit to Beijing failed to secure robust support for mediation, eliciting only a "cautious, principle-based" response from the Chinese government.

This development, it said, reflects a broader truth: "all is not well in China-Pakistan relations", with emerging divergences – especially over Afghanistan and relations with the US – reshaping the trajectory of this once "all-weather" partnership.

"Recently, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Beijing. This visit came at a crucial time and was largely aimed at securing China's support for Pakistan's proposed mediation role in the ongoing US–Israel–Iran tensions. It followed a meeting in Islamabad that brought together countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to explore potential mediation efforts. However, when that initiative failed to yield tangible results, Pakistan turned to China," the report detailed.

"China, however, has responded cautiously rather than endorsing. It has reportedly warned Pakistan to first resolve its issues with Afghanistan, emphasising that a country seeking to act as a mediator cannot simultaneously engage in aggressive actions against its neighbour. Such contradictions undermine credibility and send the wrong message about Pakistan's suitability as a neutral negotiator," it added.

According to the report, under Pakistani Army Chief Marshal Asif Munir – viewed as "a favoured figure" of US President Donald Trump – Pakistan has disregarded China's security interests in Afghanistan, repeatedly undermining them.

Pakistan's continued military aggression against Afghanistan has not only raised concerns but also compelled China to recalibrate its regional strategy.

"China's unease is rooted in its long-term strategic and economic investments across the region. Beijing has invested heavily in Pakistan, particularly under theChina-Pakistan Economic Corridor, while simultaneously seeking to expand connectivity into Afghanistan through emerging trade corridors and economic integration," the report mentioned.

"In recent years, China has also increased its economic footprint in Afghanistan, recognising the country's geostrategic location as a critical gateway linking Central Asia, South Asia, and West Asia – an important component of its broader connectivity ambitions under the Belt and Road Initiative. China's concernsare further shaped by security considerations, particularly the risk of extremism emanating from Afghanistan," it stated.

Emphasising that the shifting dynamic is also reflected in the waning pace of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the report said that China has substantially curtailed funding for the project.

"Pakistan repeatedly invokes CPEC in its statements during meetings with China in an effort to secure renewed financial support, but Beijing has scaled back its engagement due to concerns over corruption, terror attacks on its workers, and increasing instability in the country," it noted.

(With inputs from IANS)