The Growing Nexus Between Pakistan and The USA After the USA's Successful Mediation in the Indo-Pak War and Its Implications for Pak-China Partnership in South Asia
Abstract
This study examines the evolving dynamics of Pakistan-U.S. relations following the U.S.'s successful mediation in the Indo-Pak war and its implications for the long-standing Pak-China strategic partnership. Through a qualitative analysis of historical, political, and strategic dimensions, this research reveals that Pakistan's dual alignment strategy with the U.S. and China is driven by pragmatic calculations to maximize economic, military, and diplomatic benefits. However, this approach also poses risks, particularly in the context of great power competition, where the U.S. and China have divergent interests in South Asia. The findings suggest that Pakistan's relationships with both the U.S. and China are increasingly interlinked, requiring nuanced diplomatic balancing to preserve strategic autonomy and maximize benefits. This study contributes to the academic discourse on South Asian geopolitics, offering insights for policymakers, strategists, and scholars seeking to understand the complexities of Pakistan's foreign policy in a rapidly evolving regional landscape.
References
2) Al Jazeera. (2025, 6 18). Al Jazeera. Retrieved from Al Jazeera : https://www.aljazeera.com › ... › India-Pakistan Tensions
3) Al Jazeera. (2022, 4 27). Al Jazeera. Retrieved from Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com › news › 2022 › 27 › pakista...
4) Al Jazeera. (2025, 3 5). Al Jazeera. Retrieved from Al Jazera: https://www.aljazeera.com › News › ISIL/ISIS
5) Coll, S. (2005). Ghost wars: The secret history of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden.Penguin UK.
6) Cronin, R. P. (2005). Pakistan's nuclear proliferation activities and the recommendations of the 9/11 commission: US policy constraints and options (No. CRSRL32745). Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress.
7) Dawn. (2024, 6 22). Dawn. Retrieved from Dawn: https://www.dawn.com › Newspaper › Front Page
8) Department of Homeland Security. (2024, 10). Homeland Threat Assessment. Retrieved from Homeland Security (org): https://www.dhs.gov › default › files › 2024-10
9) Fair, C. C. (2014). Fighting to the end: The Pakistan army's way of war. Oxford University Press.
10) Finance Division, Government of Pakistan. (2024, 6 23). Finance Division| Government of Pakistan. Retrieved from Finance Division, Government of Pakistan: https://www.finance.gov.pk › survey › 14_energy
11) Financial times. (2025, 6 8). Financial Times. Retrieved from Financial times: https://www.ft.com › ... › Emerging markets › India
12) Financial Times. (2025, 8 11). Financial Times. Retrieved from Financial Times: https://www.ft.com › ... › Commodities › Companies
13) Francis, R. (2020). US-CHINESE RAPPROCHEMENT: The Impact of the South Asian Crisis. CRIMSON HISTORICAL, 41.
14) Gupta, S. (2025, 6 21). The Print. Retrieved from ThePrint: https://theprint.in › National Interest
15) Haqqani, H. (2013). Magnificent delusions: Pakistan, the United States, and an epic history of misunderstanding. PublicAffairs.
16) Jadoon, A. S. (2024). From Tajikistan to Moscow and Iran: Mapping the local and transnational threat of Islamic State Khorasan. CTC Sentinel, 17(5).
17) Kugelman, M. (2025). Geopolitical Paradoxes in the US-Pakistan Relations. In US-Pakistan Relations (pp. 19-29). Routledge.
18) Kux, D. (2001). The United States and Pakistan, 1947-2000: Disenchanted Allies. Woodrow Wilson Center Press.
19) Markey, D. S. (2013). No exit from Pakistan: America's tortured relationship with Islamabad. Cambridge University Press.
20) McMahon, R. J. (1996). The cold war on the periphery: The United States, India, and Pakistan. Columbia University Press.
21) Mining.com. (2025, 8 14). Mining.com. Retrieved from Mining.com: https://www.mining.com › us-eyes-minerals-cooperatio...
22) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People's Republic of China. (2024, 10 16). Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People's Republic of China. Retrieved from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People Republic of China: https://www.mfa.gov.cn › zyxw › t20241016_11508330
23) Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Pakistan. (2025, 6 19). PC. gov.. pk. Retrieved from PC. gov. pk: https://pc.gov.pk › web › press › get_all
24) Morgenthau, H. J. (1985). Politics among nations: The struggle for power and peace (Vol. 688). New York: Knopf.
25) Mukhopadhyay, S. (2024). De-hyphenation of India and Pakistan: An empirical assessment. International Journal of Political Science and Governance.
26) Pant, H. V., & Joshi, Y. (2017). Indo-US relations under Modi: the strategic logic underlying the embrace. International Affairs, 93(1), 133-146.
27) Rashid, A. (2010). Taliban: militant Islam, oil and fundamentalism in Central Asia. Yale University Press.
28) Reuters. (2023, 10 18). Reuters. Retrieved from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com › article › technology › pakistan...
29) Reuters. (2025, 8 13). Reuters. Retrieved from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com › world › asia-pacific › us-exp...
30) Shekhar, V. (2025, 4 30). SWARAJIA.Retrieved from Swarajiamag:https://swarajyamag.com › World
31) Siddiqa, A. (2017). Military Inc.: inside Pakistan’s military economy. Penguin Random House India.
32) Small, A. (2014). The China-Pakistan axis: Asia's new geopolitics. Oxford University Press.
33) State Bank of Pakistan. (2025). State Bank of Pakistan . Retrieved from State Bank of Pakistan: https://www.sbp.org.pk › ecodata › Netinflow
34) Tellis, A. J. (2008). Pakistan and the War on Terror. Conflicted Goals, Compromised Performance. Washington, DC (et al.):. Washington, DC (et al.): Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 10./ researchgat.net.
35) Tellis, A. J. (2008). Pakistan and the War on Terror. Conflicted Goals, Compromised Performance. Washington, DC (et al.): Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 10. Washington, DC (et al.): Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 10.
36) Tellis, A. J. (2014). Balancing without containment: An American strategy for managing China. Policy Common.
37) The Express Tribune. (2024, 3 15). The Express Tribune. Retrieved from The Express Tribune: https://tribune.com.pk › 054-frigate
38) The Washington Post . (2024, 6 5). The Washington Post. Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com › World › Asia
39) The Washington Post . (2025, 3 5). The Washington Post . Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com › 2025/03/05 › abbey...
40) Times of India. (2025 a, 7 7). The Times of India. Retrieved from The Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com › India News
41) Times of India. (2025, 8 13). TOI World Desk. Retrieved from Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com › ... › US News
42) Times of India. (2025 b, 8 13). The Times of India. Retrieved from The Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com › ... › US News
43) Times of India. (2025, 8 13). The Times of India. Retrieved from Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com › ... › US News
44) U.S. Department of Justice. (2025, 3 5). Department of Justice (DoJ). Retrieved from Office of Public Affairs, Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gov › opa › united-states-arrests-isis...
45) U.S. Geological Survey. (2025, 3 2). USGS (.gov). Retrieved from U.S. Geological Survey: https://pubs.usgs.gov › mcs2025 › mcs2025
46) Walt, S. M. (1990). The origins of alliance. Cornell University Press.
47) Waltz, K. N. (1993). The emerging structure of international politics. International security, 18(2), 44-79. api.taylorfrancis.com.
48) World Nuclear News. (2024, 5 21). World Nuclear News. Retrieved from World Nuclear News: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org › articles › sign-off-...
49) Wyne, A. (2022). America's Great-Power Opportunity: Revitalizing US Foreign Policy to Meet the Challenges of Strategic Competition. John Wiley & Sons.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to the journal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).