U.S.-Pakistan relations are cautiously improving under Trump’s renewed presidency, but Islamabad continues to balance between deepening ties with China and maintaining limited strategic cooperation with Washington.

Donald Trump’s re-election was welcomed by Pakistani leaders, including Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. After the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term as president and in the past few months with the official visit of Field Marshal Asim Munir, the commander of the Pakistani army, the Pakistani foreign minister visited the United States.

Geopolitics and Strategy

In the previous term, Pakistan announced that the time had come for Islamabad’s foreign policy to change from the United States to Russia and China. The more Pakistan tries to move towards Russia, Iran, and China, the more asymmetric it becomes with US interests in South Asia.

Although the statements and approaches of Pakistani government officials and leaders indicate Pakistan’s desire to strengthen positive relations with the USA, the role of geopolitical alliances and regional and international variables in US-Pakistan relations is significant.

Given Washington’s attitude towards threats from China, the US wants to ensure that the Pakistan-China alliance does not develop further. Efforts to reduce these relations are in the interest of the US’s strategic interests. But in the new approach of the Islamabad government, despite having strong cooperation with Beijing, it wants the “strongest relations” with the United States, and the United States is seen as Pakistan’s “oldest friend”.

From this perspective, Pakistan does not want Pakistan’s increasing interaction with China to cause a more negative perception from the United States. Therefore, it wants to even show itself as a “bridge” between the United States and China.

Also, by maintaining........

© New Eastern Outlook