“STRATEGIC BROTHERHOOD IN CRISIS: CHINA'S DIPLOMATIC, ECONOMIC, AND MILITARY POSTURE IN THE PAKISTAN-INDIA CONFLICT (2025)"

Abstract

This study offers a comprehensive examination of China’s strategic engagement amidst the volatile security landscape of South Asia in 2025, with a particular focus on the Pakistan-India confrontation. Through an integrative analysis that synthesizes diplomatic, economic, military, and normative dimensions, the research elucidates how China navigates a multifaceted geostrategic environment defined by regional rivalries, great power competition, and nuclear deterrence. Central to this inquiry is the investigation of China’s employment of normative principles—such as sovereignty and non-intervention—as strategic instruments that serve to legitimize its actions while advancing its regional and global ambitions. The findings reveal that China’s strategy is characterized by a delicate balancing act: strengthening traditional alliances, notably with Pakistan, while managing complex relations with India within an evolving multipolar order. The study highlights the instrumental role of economic statecraft, exemplified by the Belt and Road Initiative and targeted financial investments, as a means of consolidating influence and shaping regional order. Furthermore, the analysis underscores the importance of normative narratives and legal rhetoric in enhancing China’s regional legitimacy and stability efforts. The paper concludes that China’s future trajectory in South Asia hinges on the continuity of its normative-pragmatic balancing, the enhancement of transparent dialogue mechanisms, and the cultivation of regional confidence-building initiatives. This research contributes critical insights into the evolving patterns of Chinese foreign policy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of normative influence and strategic interests in shaping regional stability and order in a rapidly transforming global landscape.