EVENTS

The lecture examines China’s reaction to the recent rapprochement between Washington and Islamabad and Beijing’s reasons behind it. While Beijing has certain concerns such as the security of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the development of the Pasni port, and Pakistan’s reliability, these concerns should not be overstated. This Special lecture argues that, despite the setback that the rapprochement unquestionably represents and the criticisms voiced by some Chinese commentators, Beijing has responded with restraint and decided to stay the course toward Islamabad. There are four reasons for this reaction. First, Beijing is uncertain about the long-term prospects of the US-Pakistan rapprochement and the agreements it has produced. Second, even with the US-Pakistan rapprochement Beijing will continue to enjoy greater leverage over Pakistan than Washington. Third, the rapprochement does not impede the pursuit of Beijing’s key interests in Pakistan, such as balancing Delhi and gaining access to the Indian Ocean. Finally, the rapprochement also offers benefits to China, such as generating tensions between Washington and Delhi and providing an alternative source of financial support for Islamabad. Overall, unless the circumstances change, China is likely to continue its current policy toward Pakistan, albeit with greater mistrust toward Islamabad.

Speaker

Ivan Lidarev is an Asian security and international relations expert who specialises in China-India relations and China’s role in South Asia. Currently, he is Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), National University of Singapore (NUS) and Visiting Lecturer at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Dr Lidrev obtained his PhD in International Relations and Political Science from King’s College London and was educated at the Elliott School of International Affairs (ESIA-George Washington University), Fudan University, and Bard College. He has substantial thinktank experience, having held fellowships at institutions such as India's Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Czechia’s Institute of International Relations (IIR) Prague, and UK's LSE IDEAS. Dr.Lidarev also served as advisor at Bulgaria’s National Assembly (2014-2017), Graduate Teaching Assistant at the Defence Academy of the UK (2018-2019), and Associate Features Editor of E-International Relations (2015-2016).

Chair

Alka Acharya is the Director of the Institute of Chinese Studies and former Professor and Chairperson at the Centre for East Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Please register for the lecture here