Pradip R. Sagar
India witnessed a deep Pakistan-China collusion during the 100-hour-long military conflict post-Operation Sindoor in May. While Pakistan was fighting India using Chinese fighter jets and missiles, Chinese satellites were providing real-time battlefield inputs to the Pakistani military. Now, the ‘all-weather’ alliance between Beijing and Islamabad is taking a new turn. In the last week of July, a high-profile Pakistani religious delegation visited China’s Xinjiang province, returning with a joint declaration condemning terrorism as a ‘crime against humanity’.
It all seemed like an initiative in interfaith cooperation. The delegation, which had media professionals besides religious leaders, witnessed Xinjiang’s development under China’s Belt and Road Initiative and through the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. It also discussed the potential for cooperation between Pakistan and Xinjiang, particularly in combating extremism. However, observers believe China’s new religious diplomacy with Pakistan is deeply intertwined with the neighbours’ strategic aim to challenge India’s regional influence. They point out that China’s outreach to Pakistan’s religious leadership is more than symbolic—it signals a deeper alignment that poses serious strategic concerns for India.
While the joint declaration condemning terrorism made during the Pakistani religious delegation’s visit, at first glance, appeared to be an exercise in promoting peace and interfaith harmony, it in reality reflected Beijing’s calculated attempt to use religion as a tool of influence in South Asia while masking its alleged human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims, say observers. This convergence of narratives between Islamabad and Beijing carries implications that go far beyond Xinjiang—it directly feeds into the larger strategy of countering India’s regional standing and strengthening anti-India propaganda, particularly in the context of Kashmir.
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