China occupies a central place in the India—Pakistan conflict, partly due to its close proximity with both countries and partly because of its own strategic interests. Initially, China had developed cordial ties with India but these deteriorated in the early 1960s until the border war of1962 which resulted in the disruption of diplomatic relations. This mutual hostility along with a border agreement became the basis of the Sino—Pakistan entente. As a result, China has made large economic and strategic investments in Pakistan to keep the common enemy—India—under strategic pressure. Realistically, in the immediate aftermath ofbipolarity, China tried to improve relations with India while making equal efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s conventional and nuclear capabilities. This article analyses Beijing’s approach towards both New Delhi and Islamabad in the changing geopolitical landscape of the post Cold War period.
