KARACHI: PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that Pakistan can be the bridge between China and the United States, Deutsche Welle (DW) reported.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Bhutto-Zardari discussed the country’s engagement with China and the US, expectations from President Donald Trump, improving relations with India, and security challenges, according to Dawn.com.

“The pace of that competitiveness [between China and the US] has very palpable effects all across the world… From a Pakistani perspective, historically, we have played the role of bridge builder rather than a dividing force,” he said.

He added, “If you want to put us in a camp, we would like to see ourselves as bridge builders. We played that role in the past between establishing diplomatic contacts and the relationship between the US and China. Going forward, we would like to see ourselves as a country that can bridge that gap rather than increase that division.”

PPP leader warns of escalating arms race amid US-India security ties

When asked about the new Trump administration, Mr Bhutto-Zardari called Trump a “deal maker” and said, “Given the cha­llenges we face in the region, there are topics and areas in which we can engage with the US that fit within that roadmap.” One such domain, he added, was increasing engagement with India.

He further said, “With China-US conflict and with US’ attempts to build up India as a counterweight to China does affect the balance of power in the region.”

Giving the example of the arms race between India and Pakistan, he said that both countries can focus on other sectors like poverty and unemployment, but “if the US is going to try and establish India as a net security provider in the region, then Pakistan will do what it must to sustain that race”.

China has a “consistent stable trajectory” and it “makes sense” for the country to do business with China, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, adding, “but it does not make sense to cut us off from the rest of the world”.

Regarding US Vice President J.D. Vance’s remarks a day earlier regarding Washington being able to wield economic and military leverage in talks with Russia to ensure a good peace deal over Ukraine, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that it was “not a surprise for us because we are used to the fact that the US looks after US interests first”.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2025