IT is no denying the fact that interstate relations experience new equations with significant changes in the global power politics. Every country accrues alliances in order to strengthen its geopolitical status. But the affiliations formed for the sake of regional hegemony and exploitation lead to regional instability and imbalance of power. This alteration of the balance of power defies the very principle of peaceful coexistence.

Likewise, the US-Indian nexus involving a long-term strategic military and nuclear alliance has posed far-reaching implications for the delicate balance of power and stability in the region. This so-called peaceful nuclear deal at the cost of regional balance of power is the sheer manifestation of the US strategic policy regarding the confinement of China. So, in pursuit of its policy of ‘pivot to Asia’, the United States is promoting India as a world power so as to manage China’s rise in the world power politics.

This kind of development in the international political arena goes also against the strategic interests of Pakistan as the strengthening of its arch-rival India’s ties with the US poses major threat to its very existence. This is the point where the strategic interests of both China and Pakistan converge on the same point.

Keeping in view the aforesaid Indian-US strategic ties, China and Pakistan have also strengthened their geostrategic positions by entering into an agreement. Under the head of this agreement, Pakistan has transferred the operational control of its strategically-located deep-sea port of Gwadar to China, a steadfast and time-tested friend of Pakistan.

This deal has injected a certain amount of realpolitik sense to the rhetoric of higher-than-mountains and deeper-than-oceans Pakistan-China relations.

Thus the Gwadar port deal, a new impetus to Pakistan-China relations, is the expression of trust, confidence and sincerity, which Pakistan reposes in the Chinese ability to deliver on our infrastructure projects. It is the demonstration of economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries.

For Pakistan, it will open new vistas for trade and industry which, in turn, will lead to prosperity. It would help Pakistan in the exploitation of natural resources and accelerate the industrial activity, raising the momentum of the economy.

For China, this seaport carries numerous benefits as it provides the shortest import-export route, will link Xinjiang province in western China to the Middle East via the recently expanded Karakoram Highway across Gilgit Baltistan, besides many other benefits.

S.M.GHUMMAN Lahore