| Subject: | Foreign Policy/ Ionternational Relations |
| Title: | The Dragon’s Shadow: How China Shapes the Strategic Calculus of Indo-Pak Rivalry |
| Author(s): | Beenapani Rout |
| Published on: | 28th February 2026 |
| Published by: | Lyceum India |
| Name of the Journal: | Lyceum India Journal of Social Sciences |
| ISSN/E-ISSN: | 3048-6513 |
| Volume & Issue: | Volume: 3, Issue: 2 |
| Pages: | 73-83 |
| Original DOI (if any): | 10.5281/zenodo.18797600 |
| Repository DOI: | |
| Abstract: | This research paper examines China’s multifaceted influence on the strategic dynamics between India and Pakistan, analysing how Beijing’s economic investments, military assistance, and diplomatic interventions have reshaped the calculus of this long-standing South Asian rivalry. Using a triangular framework of analysis, this study evaluates China’s asymmetric relationships with both nations and its implications for regional stability. Findings indicate that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has intensified the security dilemma between India and Pakistan while creating new dependencies. The research further demonstrates how China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean and its boundary disputes with India generate additional dimensions to the traditional bilateral conflict. This paper contributes to the scholarly understanding of how external powers influence regional rivalries and offers policy recommendations for managing the trilateral dynamics to enhance regional stability. |
| Keywords: | China, India, Pakistan, strategic triangle, regional security, Belt and Road Initiative |
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