China’s President Xi Jinping, bearing promises of more than $45bn in infrastructure investment, began a visit to Pakistan yesterday that will strengthen economic and military ties between Beijing and its nuclear-armed south Asian ally, launch a Chinese diplomatic drive in Asia and underline the waning influence of the US in Islamabad.
Eight Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets — jointly manufactured by Pakistan and China — escorted Mr Xi’s presidential aircraft in Pakistani airspace. The JF-17 is among the most visible signs of Chinese support for Pakistan following a US decision in 1990 to block the sale of its F16 military jets because of concerns over Islamabad’s nuclear programmes.
Pakistan will be the first testing ground for Beijing’s regional economic strategy known as the Silk Road Economic Belt, a concept first announced by Mr Xi during a visit to Kazakhstan in 2013. It has since been renamed One Belt, One Road and is designed to promote regional stability, expand China’s economic footprint and boost China’s exports through a combination of commercial investment and aid.