THE brewing conflict between the US and China is a matter that concerns most of the Global South, as many developing states maintain ties with both the top global economies.

For Pakistan, this situation is particularly complex, as ties with both states go back decades, and have economic as well as military dimensions. That is why a contingency plan is necessary, for if things worsen, Pakistan will have to make tough choices. Even now, there are indications that staying neutral in a potential clash is easier said than done.

For example, US diplomat Donald Lu was recently quoted as saying that the Biden administration had sought $101m from Congress for Pakistan. He added that in terms of investment in Pakistan, “China is the past … we [the US] are the future”. When the Foreign Office spokesperson was asked to comment, she said that Pakistan does not believe in zero-sum relationships, ties with both the US and China are important, and that “China is an all-weather strategic cooperative partner” of this country.

While cooperation and investment from all quarters are important, the US should know that $101m is not exactly a princely sum that will convince Pakistan to change its geostrategic moorings. Indeed, balancing ties with the two global powers is not an easy task, but Pakistan must keep a few things in perspective while updating its foreign policy. Certainly, ties with the US should be deepened, but not at the cost of any other country.

Moreover, Pakistan’s primary focus should be its immediate vicinity. This means that ties should be improved with all neighbours — Iran, Afghanistan, China and even India, whenever it sheds its anti-Pakistan rhetoric. Also, trade and people-to-people ties should be improved with states in the larger neighbourhood. This includes Russia, the Central Asian states, as well as the Gulf countries. Across the world, regions that have integrated and formed trading blocs — Asean, the EU, Mercosur etc — have benefited.

Therefore, Pakistan must not isolate itself, and trade and talk to all its neighbours. What is most important is for Islamabad to formulate a foreign policy based on the national interest, and not on the whims of others, no matter how powerful they may be. Proactive economic diplomacy, and not merely foreign aid, is what is required to lift Pakistan out of the current bog of financial despair.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2024