This is a question many are asking after the terror strike last week which killed 9 Chinese engineers in Pakistan. There was huge public anger in China and a subservient relationship will not help Pakistan avoid Beijing’s pressure and wrath.

With Afghanistan moving into chaos, the militant group inside Pakistan are bound to be emboldened. They can also expect more support from all kinds of forces in Afghanistan. It is going to be a tough time for Pakistani forces to protect so many Chinese citizens all over the country. When Xi Jinping made CPEC the showcase project, he had not bargained for this danger which Biden’s decision has unleashed in the region. The fallout will have to be watched.

As an aside, India is equally worried about Kashmir and about the return of militant violence to Pakistan because of the developing situation in Afghanistan. That should put New Delhi in the same bracket as Beijing but for the difference in power that the two Asian giants wield in the region. It will thus be tougher for India, with lesser options in its toolkit, than China has.