-By Kabileshwaran A/L Kalaiselvan

The US has a policy termed the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" to offset China's growing influence in the region. The policy describes President Biden's vision for securely establishing the United States' presence in the Indo-Pacific region while also strengthening it. Its core focus is on long-term and creative engagement with regional and international friends, partners, and institutions.

The United States strengthened its ties with India when President Biden signed the Artemis Accords with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on June 21, 2023, to fully realise its interest in the region, as India holds the dominant position in that region. The US may view this deal as an alternative to focus on China's activities in the region, given China is currently the most significant threat to the US. The US's sustained support for India will propel it to become a hegemonic power. For example, during the 2020-2021 China-India army battle in Ladakh, the United States strongly supported India's territorial claim.

India and Pakistan have been adversaries since independence, posing significant dangers to Pakistan's national security and regional power dynamics. To maintain the balance of power, Pakistan has established close ties with China through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). China and Pakistan have benefited from the (CPEC), with the finest example occurring on February 18, 2013, when Pakistan handed the contract to the China Overseas Port Holding Company (CPOHC) to develop and maintain Gwadar port. It is Pakistan's third-largest deepwater port. It is situated where international maritime transport lanes and oil trade routes converge. Gwadar has the potential to serve as Pakistan's worldwide trade hub because three regions which are Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East are connected by Gwadar Port.

The Gwadar Port has provided enormous benefits to both China and Pakistan. China's naval presence in the Gulf can disrupt INDO-US supremacy of the Indian Ocean and help it achieve its aim of becoming a naval power. China may boost trade with Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa by exploiting an existing land route that decreases maritime distance to 2500 km rather than 10,000 km. Pakistan recognises the potential of Central and South Asia, which includes the Caspian Region, Central Asian Republics, Afghanistan, and Iran, as well as the energy-rich 'lake' known as the Caspian Sea.

The benefits that China and Pakistan derive from this port demonstrate that the US Indo-Pacific strategy failed to some extent in choosing India to strengthen its ties and position in the region. One major reason is that India has issues with Nepal, Afghanistan, Iran, and Balochistan (countries surrounding Gwadar Port that include India). For example, Rustam Shah Mohmand, a former Pakistani ambassador to Kabul, stated that India sees the Taliban as having brought some stability to Afghanistan after 20 years of civil war, whereas Washington has maintained a policy of sanctions and isolation towards the Taliban since its withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Besides, Balochistan is a province of southern Pakistan. In December 2023, a commander of the Baloch National Army (BNA), a separatist militant group, revealed that India has been quietly aiding terrorist actions in Balochistan and financing separatist forces there. This is in complete contrast to the United States' response to terrorism. In terms of size, the Gwadar project eclipses the India’s Chabahar endeavour. Gwadar is inextricably linked to an economy worth almost $20 trillion, whilst Chabahar interacts with an economy worth about $8 trillion.

Furthermore, the estimated capacities of the two ports vary significantly: By 2030, Gwadar is expected to handle up to 400 million tonnes of cargo annually, much above India’s Chabahar's projected capacity of 10 to 12 million tonnes. In contrast to India, China has easy access to Central Asia through its western borders and has created strong economic and investment ties with the region.

To conclude, the US is concerned about the expansion and development of Gwadar Port. This can be seen when Donald Blome, the United States (US) Ambassador to Pakistan, made a much-publicized visit to the Gwadar region on September 12, 2023, where he states that he "explored opportunities to enrich development, trade, and commercial ties, building on the successful outcomes that underpin the robust US-Pakistan bilateral relationship." As a result, the US should be more cautious in its bilateral relationship with Pakistan due to Chinese dominance in the region, while also increasing strategic ties with India.

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