The USA signed an extended Defence Framework Agreement with India for the third time for 10 years this week. Despite the tariff tensions between the two nations, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh signed this pact at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. Hegseth shared this news on X, quoting “We’re enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been stronger.” Therefore, the defence pact aims to enhance cooperation in military operations, technology sharing, and strategic coordination, while strengthening both countries’ presence and influence in the region. Notably, the Agreement was signed back in 2005 in Washington, DC. This agreement covered joint weapons production, the transfer of civil and military technology, and cooperation on missile defense.
US-India strategic ties developed in the post-Cold War era, in 1991. Earlier, in 1950s, India choose non-alignment by r choosing neither the USA’s nor the USSR’s blocs. After the disintegration of the USSR, Pakistan ceased to be an attractive ally. The USA shifted its focus on India to counterbalance China and its hold on to the Indo-Pacific region. Till date, India and the USA have signed four major defense and military partnerships to combat Chinese influence in the South China Sea. These agreements include the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA). India is also part of “the Quad” four state military and economic agreement between to limit Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region over approximately half of global trade passes by.
Despite its military modernization, India failed to counter Pakistan in the four-day-long war in May. It is all because of its diversified procurement such as Israeli Heron drones, US surveillance platforms, French Rafale jets, and the Russian S-400 air defence system, that it lacked interoperability. Even as India moved towards this diverse military modernization, leading Indian think-tank Observer Research Foundation underscored that India was hampered by service-specific preferences resulting in the weak integration of weapons and intelligence systems. Not only integration was at fault, for there was lack of training of military personnel to operate these systems. During the war, these lacks became clear, as India failed to counter Pakistan.
Pakistan should not compromise its ties with China, for making good ties with the USA. As the US-Pakistan strategic relationship never stands for long, the Pakistan-China relationship is longstanding. After the extension of the agreement, it has been clear to Pakistan that the USA will never compromise its ties with India despite tariff tensions. In the last week, a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cleared that the USA wants to expand strategic ties with Pakistan but not at the expense of its relations with India. He further added, India is a great strategic ally of the USA. Consequently, Pakistan should also realize that the USA is not comprising its ties with India while expanding ties with Pakistan. Thus, Pakistan should keep its ties stronger with China as in hard times, China has always supported Pakistan while US-Pakistan relations had always been short term and transactional
Pakistan’s strategic alignment with China paid off well. According to defense security Asia Pakistan’s integrating Chinese origin radars, airborne early warning platforms and data link enabled fighters all to be integrated under a China-supported C4ISR system. While, French Rafales owned by India experienced latency issues, having radar inconsistencies and communication protocols. After the war, Indian defence analysts and opposition party strongly criticized Indian he Modi government for buying such non-integrated technology.
The Indo-US nexus has severe implications for Pakistan. Indo-US strategic cooperation is a threat to regional peace and strategic stability. The intensification of rivalry and the extreme race between the USA and China has put Pakistan into an extremely difficult situation with both states. Pakistan has deepened its ties with China, as the Pakistan-US relationship has always been driven by mutual interests.
Pakistan and China both already have long-standing defence relationships involving multiple pacts, including military and arms production. In 2020, an MoU was signed between the Pakistan Army and the People’s Liberation Army to enhance intelligence sharing. The two countries have cooperated on projects like the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft and the Al-Khalid tank, which is based on a Chinese design.
Over the years, China provided that China is a longstanding friend. During the Indo-Pak war, China provided significant military support to Pakistan, including J-10C fighter jets fitted with PL-15 long air-to-air missiles, HQ-9 and LY-80 air defense systems. The J-10C established air superiority by neutralizing Indian Su-30MKIs and MiG-29s with BVR tactics. China also provided real time intelligence, by sharing surveillance satellites to detect Indian aircrafts and troop movements. Chinese technology helped Pakistan deter an Indian unprovoked attack. It also helped Pakistan in establishment of military-industrial complexes like Heavy Industries Taxila and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra.
China has even always supported Pakistan’s stance in United Nations in Kashmir and used its veto power twice. It also helped Pakistan at international forums like FATF and blocked Indian moves to blacklist Pakistan.
Pakistan should not compromise its ties with China, for making good ties with the USA. As the US-Pakistan strategic relationship never stands for long, the Pakistan-China relationship is longstanding. After the extension of the agreement, it has been clear to Pakistan that the USA will never compromise its ties with India despite tariff tensions. In the last week, a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cleared that the USA wants to expand strategic ties with Pakistan but not at the expense of its relations with India. He further added, India is a great strategic ally of the USA. Consequently, Pakistan should also realize that the USA is not comprising its ties with India while expanding ties with Pakistan. Thus, Pakistan should keep its ties stronger with China as in hard times, China has always supported Pakistan while US-Pakistan relations had always been short term and transactional.
