Pakistan Ditches ‘Iron Brother’ China, Reaches Out to US for Financial Rescue

New Delhi, India - The phrase "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" perfectly encapsulates China’s predicament with its so-called “Iron Brother,” Pakistan. Despite Beijing’s heavy financial investments exceeding $67.2 billion since 2000, Pakistan has chosen to pursue its age-old flirtation with the United States, discarding China like a used pawn in the global chessboard of geopolitics.

Pakistan’s thankless attitude towards China is no secret. Whether it was the blatant preference for US-made weapons expressed by former COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa in April 2022 or the unapologetic remarks of current CJCSC General Sahir Shamshad Mirza claiming Pak-China ties were borne of “compulsion,” Pakistan has made its disdain for Chinese dominance quite clear. Adding insult to injury, the country has been brazenly vocal about its desire to rekindle ties with the US, conveniently forgetting China’s lifeline in the form of loans and infrastructural projects.

The Decline of a Pawn

Pakistan, once a proud US ally during the Cold War, has found itself teetering on the edge of irrelevance. Decades of milking Western military aid to counter India under the guise of crisis diplomacy worked only until China’s rise. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), touted as a "game-changer," has left Pakistan with mounting debts and dwindling autonomy. Over 72% of Pakistan’s external debt is owed to China, rendering it a vassal state to Beijing’s expansionist ambitions.

Unsurprisingly, Pakistan is now desperate to curry favour with the US once again. In a telling display of loyalty, US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu remarked in July 2024, "China is the past investment; we (the US) are the future." True to its character, Pakistan offered no clarification, leaving Beijing to stew in its humiliation. This is the same Pakistan that stayed silent during Nancy Pelosi’s provocative visit to Taiwan in 2022 and leaked sensitive memos in 2023 advising PM Shehbaz Sharif to avoid appeasing the West.

Pakistan’s Lust for the West is rooted in history and economic logic:

1. It was a loyal member of US-led anti-Communist alliances like SEATO and CENTO.
2. It enjoys a trade surplus of $5.4 billion with the US while suffering a $15 billion deficit with China.
3. The English-speaking middle class, raised in Western media, identifies more with the US culturally than with China.
4. Pakistan’s population is increasingly wary of China’s expansionist tendencies and exploitation of its resources.

Pakistan’s duplicity reached new heights in August 2023 when it revived a Communications Interoperability and Security Memo of Agreement (CIS-MOA) with the US, effectively opening doors for American military hardware. Pakistan also embarrassed China by reducing orders for Chinese military equipment, including the VT-4 tanks and SH-15 artillery guns, right after the CIS-MOA agreement.

Even more damning, Pakistan hosted US officials at Gwadar Port in September 2023, a move that could result in the strategic port being handed to the US—an act of treachery for a country that owes its survival to Chinese investments.

Chinese Frustration and Growing Assertiveness

China, on the other hand, finds itself in a lose-lose situation. Increasing attacks on CPEC projects, like the March 2024 assault on a Chinese convoy at Besham, have pushed Beijing to consider deploying its security forces in Pakistan—a move that would strip the Pakistani Army of its “macho” image. Resentment against the Chinese presence is palpable among Pakistan’s elites, with even Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz openly criticizing Chinese security protocols.

True to its duplicitous nature, Pakistan has now launched “Operation Azam-e-Istehkam,” a repackaged counter-terrorism operation aimed at placating China. The ulterior motive, however, is clear: keep the internal security situation volatile to extract financial aid from both China and the US, all while hoping to rebuild its military to match India’s growing might.

The Joke’s on China

While Pakistan continues to juggle its loyalties, Beijing is left to wonder why its billions have failed to buy gratitude. The so-called “Iron Brother” has turned into a rusted liability, and as Pakistan places its eggs back in the US basket, it’s evident that China’s dream of a compliant ally is nothing more than a pipe dream.

In the end, Pakistan’s double-dealing may win it temporary rewards, but its long-term trajectory remains that of a parasitic state, surviving by selling out its sovereignty to the highest bidder. If China thought it could tame Pakistan, it was sorely mistaken.