The rising multipolarity has intensified great power competition, making it difficult for states like Pakistan to pursue their national interests.
This pushed Pakistan towards its regional neighbors, Russia and China. Islamabad and Beijing have always enjoyed cordial ties since China’s independence. Their mutual rivalry with India further cemented this relationship. However, Pakistan-Russia relations have a bitter background. Due to Islamabad’s alignment with the US bloc during the Cold War, the two sides had limited formal relations. This alignment positioned Pakistan as a regional rival of the Soviet Union. However, in the past two decades, the two sides have attempted to enhance their bilateral relations.
From Unipolar Hegemony to a Multipolar Reality
The United States emerged as the sole global power from the Cold War, making the international system unipolar. However, this unipolar period was brief as China soon emerged as a strong global economic and military power. Russia’s resurgence as a significant global power with the turn of the 21st century also marked the rise of a multipolar world order. In addition, the world witnessed a significant rise in the influence of middle powers, especially Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Pakistan, Japan, and India. These factors rapidly led to the decline of the US-led unipolar world order. The unilateral US interventions and aggression in different third-world countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Vietnam, Venezuela, Syria, and Yemen, also contributed to the decline of the unipolar world order.
The rise of a multipolar world order intensified great-power competition, particularly between the US, China, and Russia. Beijing and Moscow are attempting to establish a parallel international system with the United States as a key global player. The two powers do not seek to replace Washington’s role due to the high strategic cost it entails. Therefore, they merely seek to build a parallel system that provides all states equal rights and opportunities. They seek to establish a world order in which all states are allowed to pursue an independent foreign policy. The structure of the BRICS organization demonstrates the ambitions of the two nations about the future international order.
The Tightrope of Modern Pakistani Diplomacy
Due to this rising multipolarity and great-power competition, the foreign policy choices for third-world countries like Pakistan have become intricate. The United States, being the global hegemon, is coercing developing nations to align their foreign policy decisions with US interests. However, China and Russia, due to their inclusive policies and increasing global influence, provide the Global South with a lucrative international setup and opportunities. China has gained influence over more than three continents through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Pakistan is also hosting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The United States repeatedly urged Pakistan to suspend this project. Islamabad’s rejection of this US demand led to its grey-listing by the FATF.
Pakistan is also attempting to enhance its bilateral cooperation with Russia. It seeks to buy cheap Russian oil and military arms, weapons, and technology from Moscow. However, the United States’ sanctions and embargoes make it difficult for Pakistan to enhance military, technological, and energy cooperation with Russia. Due to the US-Iran war and Pakistan’s increasing global diplomatic influence, the world is once again witnessing a new apex in the Pak-US ties. However, this does not minimize foreign policy complications for Islamabad in the contemporary multipolar world.
Charting a Course Toward Strategic Autonomy
To safeguard its core national interests, Islamabad must successfully preserve its strategic autonomy and chart an independent foreign policy in an increasingly polarized global landscape. In the past, the country’s over-dependence on Western institutions, especially the IMF, made it difficult to make independent foreign policy decisions, leading to US sanctions and strict IMF conditions on non-compliance. Therefore, Pakistan needs to diversify its economic relations with different regional and global powers to avoid any blackmail in the future. Moreover, it needs to shift its policy of establishing transactional geostrategic relations with different powers. It needs to establish cordial long-term trade ties with all regional and global powers to strengthen its economy and expand its diplomatic clout. The recent US-Iran war provides Pakistan with an opportunity to position itself as a global mediator and diplomatic power.
Аbbas Hashemite is a political observer and research analyst for regional and global geopolitical issues. He is currently working as an independent researcher and journalist
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