Driving Forces of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy towards China: An Analytical Study

Abstract

This paper focuses on the driving forces that have influenced the Pakistan’s foreign policy since the early post-independence years to the modern times with special reference to its strategic relations with China, the United States and the relationship with the neighbours in South and Central Asia. The foreign policy of Pakistan has traditionally been developed with the impact of active regional and international changes and is the demonstration of interrelation between security needs, economic interdependence and domestic political frameworks. Through analytical and historical approach, the paper brings together data of diplomatic archives, government documents and scholarly literature through the identification of patterns and continuities over decades. The results indicate that national security issues, in particular, the long-term rivalry with India is the most stable factor of the foreign policy orientation of Pakistan. At the same time, there has been an increase in economic incentives, including the right to foreign aid, diversification of trade, and investment in infrastructure, especially the introduction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The internal politics and civil-military relations, leadership changes, and the popular preferences also affect the priorities of policies and foreign alliances. The paper highlights the fact that the foreign policy of Pakistan is slowly shifting to a security-based paradigm to a more geo-economic model, which focuses on connectivity, regionalism and sustainable development. However, endemic difficulties, financial inconstancy, governance flaws and unstable regional contexts, still limit policy performances. It finds that an adaptive and balanced foreign policy based on economic resilience and institutional coherence is essential to protect the sovereignty of Pakistan and ensure the greatest strategic utility of this nation in an increasingly multipolar world system.