Pakistan’s efforts to enhance relations with the US may be limited by its strong ties with China, according to former Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Nisha Desai Biswal. Despite recent developments, the enduring strategic connections between Islamabad and Beijing are expected to restrict the progress of US-Pakistan relations.
Biswal highlighted the deep-rooted strategic, military, intelligence, economic, and technological dependencies between Pakistan and China. These factors are likely to influence US decision-making, maintaining a ceiling on the potential advancement of US-Pakistan relations. She emphasized that these structural realities will continue to shape Washington’s approach, overshadowing temporary improvements in bilateral ties.
Amid signs of renewed engagement between the US and Pakistan, India remains vigilant. Biswal underscored that the broader US-India partnership is primarily driven by strategic, economic, and technological alignment. She suggested that concerns regarding Pakistan should be understood within the broader framework of Washington’s regional priorities.
