Navigating US-China Competition: Options for Pakistan

The United States and China have traditionally been two of Pakistan's most important partners. Beijing has been a frequent source of economic and military support, while Washington has served as an ally. In more recent years, however, a series of factors, including growing US-India relations and US-Pakistan tensions flowing from the war in Afghanistan, have convinced many observers that Islamabad is moving closer to Beijing and further from Washington. But in recent months, Islamabad has publicly signaled a desire to maintain healthy ties with both Beijing and Washington.

How is Pakistan navigating its relations with Washington and Beijing today? What is its policy approach to US-China rivalry? And how does intensifying great power competition impact Pakistan’s interests? In this event, Baqir Sajjad, the Wilson Center's Pakistan Fellow, addressed these questions and more. He discussed his findings from the research project that he has carried out while at the Wilson Center, which focuses on Pakistan's policy options for navigating US-China competition.