Forever brothers

For a half century,China and Pakistan have been all-weather strategic partners. Thats not to describe China-Pakistan ties from the outsiders perspective. Those are words reiterated through Chinese Premier Wen Jiabaos address to the Pakistani parliament on Sunday. While that warmth does not surprise,whats new is the changed context of Kashmir in Chinas dealings with New Delhi and Islamabad. Wen absolved Pakistan of the flak it has been facing,particularly from the US and India,for the terror machinery on its soil. Yet,from an objective point of view,as well as that of Pakistans and Chinas neighbour India,Wen is sailing against the current. In India,he has been distinctly banal on terrorism,refusing to address Delhis concerns about terror emanating from Pakistan. Whereas,in Islamabad,hes lavished praise on Pakistan,claiming that Pakistan is doing everything right,notwithstanding the global consensus that it needs to do much more.

Meanwhile,Pakistan and China have sealed almost 35 billion in state contracts and private-sector deals to boost trade and economic ties. Of course,China-Pakistan bilateral trade is a small fraction of the China-India volume; nor can anybody have a case against Pakistans economic growth. However,what cannot be missed behind the energy and infrastructure compact is Chinas attempt to speedily integrate Pakistan with its western region,economically and strategically. And China looks to soon have its own road access to the Arabian Sea on Pakistans coast through the ceded territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

So theres logic to everything Wens said in Islamabad. While India and China seek to improve bilateral cooperation,India has realised the necessity of calibrating its Tibet policy and equating Tibet with Kashmir. From the border issue to the stapled visas to the Karakoram roadway,China has been squeezing itself into the Kashmir problem. As a result,the challenge posed by the China-Pakistan strategic alliance is acquiring a deep and substantial character. Theres no succinct prescription yet for addressing this challenge. India will have to be vigilant and calibrate its diplomatic and strategic response every moment. However,it should waste no time in clearly framing the contours of that challenge.