Pakistan-India-China Strategic Triangle Asymmetric Balancing and Connectivity Shifts in South-Central Asia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59022/ijlp.643Keywords:
Asymmetric Balancing, Strategic Triangle, Corridors, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Central Asia Trade Law, Regional Security, Belt and Road InitiativeAbstract
This research examines the Pakistan-India-China strategic triangle through asymmetric balancing and connectivity shifts across South-Central Asia. It analyzes how China’s growing partnership with Pakistan challenges India’s regional position, prompting minilateral and multilateral soft balancing instead of confrontation. The study examines how connectivity projects, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Uzbekistan’s amended transit and customs law reshape bilateral rivalries into a broader triangular strategic structure. Using qualitative doctrinal analysis of legal texts and scholarly literature, the research identifies how legal reform, infrastructure investment, and military dependence interact within this evolving regional system. Findings show Pakistan increasingly relying on Chinese support rather than pursuing direct military parity with India, while Uzbekistan’s simplified customs procedures extend China-linked connectivity deeper into Central Asia. These developments carry implications for regional trade, investment, and security planning across South-Central Asia. The study contributes an integrated framework connecting strategic balancing theory with regional connectivity and legal reform analysis.
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