The article reviews the history of the cooperative alliance between Pakistan and China since the fifties and discusses the reasons that have hitherto motivated the two countries to maintain close relations. The primary motive is Pakistan’s existential fear of India, consonant with China’s design to expose New Delhi to a two-front war in case of an armed confrontation on the Himalayan borders. The One Belt One Road (OBOR)-Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project and its critical component the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are seen by India as harmful to her national interests. In recent years, Pakistan’s growing economic and political problems, Islamabad’s need to repair its relations with the USA and the changing international situation have made Beijing hesitant to carry out the ambitious development projects planned in Pakistan as part of the CPEC project, even though the bond between the two governments remains strong.
