It is not really higher than the mountains and deeper than the oceans - Relations between Pakistan and China

A commentary in the CCP mouthpiece Xinhua close to a decade back had this to say about the China – Pakistan relationship, “China and Pakistan have shaped a paradigm of neighbor to neighbor relations. Their time tested friendship, described by some as “higher than the mountains and deeper than the oceans”, is not just a bunch of empty words”. And true to this commentary, China and Pakistan have maintained robust relations. It is no coincidence that these relations have seen an upswing due to two reasons; their common hatred for India and the need for China to transfer its excess capacities in construction etc to other countries with Pakistan being the supposed crown jewel with the so-called China Pakistan Economic Corridor. The fact that this corridor is illegal as it passes without permission through India’s territory has been adequately documented and expressed by India at various forums.

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and the source of constant distress to the present government, Imran Khan Niazi, also remarked during an interaction with the Chinese Ambassador in Islamabad in 2021 that “Pakistan and China are iron brothers and no hostile force could undermine their iron-clad friendship”.

Iron and seawater aren’t a good combination, particularly when the iron is of inferior quality. Iron will catch rust. This is exactly what Pakistan and its Navy are realizing, and at a heavy cost to their ability to operate effectively, for which they have taken a solemn oath.

There was an article recently that highlighted the absolute detachment from reality and the impunity with which Pakistan Navy has been modernizing, A Navy that is Detached from Reality. No sooner than that article was published, I noticed another article from June 2022 that highlighted Pakistan Navy’s warships acquired from China facing numerous challenges. In that article reporter/ political analyst/ international affairs commentator, Valerio Fabbri highlighted the numerous challenges Pakistan was facing with four of its Chinese-made multi-role frigates called variously as F-22P and the Zulfiqar-class. They were supposedly beset with multiple problems impacting their availability and are, to quote Fabbri, “giving nightmares to Pakistani Navy Officers”.

It is reliably learned that the latest ships that Pakistan is acquiring from China, two of the four that are already in service with the Pakistan Navy, are no different. If reliable sources from Pakistan Navy are to be believed, these ships have further compounded the problems under which the Pakistani Navy was already reeling; the unreliability of Chinese platforms, frequent breakdowns, lack of spares, supportability issues, the inability of the Chinese to address the problems, just to name a few.

And, when juxtaposed with problems being faced by the Pakistan Army in respect of the VT 4 Main Battle Tanks and 203 mm Towed Heavy Artillery guns imported from China, as also the JF-17 fighters procured by the Pakistan Air Force, it is quite apparent that the problem is common across the board for Pakistan’s Armed Forces.

Pakistan and its Armed Forces have increasingly weaned away from Western sources for their weapons and embraced China. They are spending Billions of Dollars to get weapons and systems that are beset with problems from the moment they get them. It is widely known that the Chinese use various measures, including bribery, to get contracts. Further, in many instances, it is a case of coercion to ensure Chinese shipyards and factories are kept running, in return for financial packages for other requirements. It is, therefore, very evident that Pakistan Armed Forces have fallen into the same ‘trap’ and the Iron Brother is only getting rusted equipment. It is clearly no more a case of ‘higher than the mountains and deeper than the oceans, but of making money at another country’s expense.

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