Amid media hype, which was largely created by news outlets from Western countries about the imminent fall of Chinese President Xi Jinping owing to his poor health condition and growing rebellion against him within the Communist Party of China, a report that caught public attention last week was planned formation of an alternative to SAARC in South Asia by China and Pakistan.
However, since it has not been confirmed by China even though Pakistan-based Express Tribune newspaper said that discussions between Islamabad and Beijing are progressing over the formation of a new platform to boost regional integration and connectivity. For India, there is no need to overlook India’s two sworn enemies’ plan in the South Asian region to challenge its pre-eminent role in promoting multilateralism in the region.
Particularly, in the aftermath of ‘Operation Sindoor,’ which led to India tearing asunder Pakistan and China’s vaunted claim on their defence and security capabilities, it has been expected that the duo will try to hit New Delhi’s interests in the region by one way or another. In the planned platform, if it gets realised, it is likely that they will try to shrink India’s diplomatic influence by luring-in Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Afghanistan to become members of this platform.
Discussions between Islamabad and Beijing are progressing over the formation of a new platform to boost regional integration and connectivity. For India, there is no need to overlook India’s two sworn enemies’ plan in the South Asian region to challenge its pre-eminent role in promoting multilateralism in the region
Strategic manoeuvring of China and Pakistan in South Asia
According to Express Tribune report, a blueprint for this platform was drawn at a meeting in Kunming, the capital city of China’s Yunnan province on June 19, 2025. This meeting was attended by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong (He was China’s ambassador to India when the Galwan Valley incident took place on June 20, 2020), Pakistan’s Additional Foreign Secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui and Bangladesh’s Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique.
This meeting was held on the sidelines of the China-South Asia Exposition, where the three nations committed to enhance cooperation in areas such as economy and climate change. No formal joint statement was issued after the conclusion of this trilateral meeting. Rather, all three countries issued separate statements with Bangladesh, under the interim government, calling it as an informal meeting; Pakistan terming it as the inaugural meeting of the trilateral mechanism and Beijing describing it as a trilateral vice foreign minister/foreign secretary-level meeting.
China, known for concealing its true intention until the last moment, claimed that the three sides agreed to advance trilateral cooperation based on the principles of good neighbourliness, equality and mutual trust, openness and inclusiveness, common development, and win-win cooperation. In its statement, Beijing also said that China-Bangladesh-Pakistan cooperation adheres to true multilateralism, “not directed at any third party.”
However, nowhere did it mention in its statement that the trio coveted an intention to form a platform that could be an alternative to SAARC. But since the Pakistani media has spilled the beans by stating that discussions over the formation of a new platform in South Asia by Islamabad and Beijing are going on, it is hard to dismiss the possibility of their covert strategic manoeuvring in the region.
The Kunming meeting was held on the sidelines of the China-South Asia Exposition, where the three nations committed to enhance cooperation in areas such as economy and climate change. All three countries issued separate statements with Bangladesh, under the interim government, calling it as an informal meeting; Pakistan terming it as the inaugural meeting of the trilateral mechanism and Beijing describing it as a trilateral vice foreign minister/foreign secretary-level meeting
Objective behind formation of alternative to SAARC
Main objective of Pakistan and China to form an alternative to the SAARC could be to downsize New Delhi’s influence in the region where India is a key player. Currently a $4 trillion economy, India has played an important role in the development of Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Maldives.
Till last year, before the removal of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh, India had extended four Lines of Credits (LoC) to Bangladesh, including $500 million for its defence. Nearly $8 billion worth of LoC was extended to Bangladesh for development of infrastructure such as roads, railways, shipping, and ports. Of this, nearly $2 billion has already been disbursed.
This year in March, both countries held 23rd Bilateral Project Review Meeting to assess the progress and decide the future course of action for existing projects. As ties between the two countries have strained since the arrival of Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh, India-led several projects have stalled.
Muhammad Yunus’s pronounced anti-India stance, combined with his deep hatred for ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party appears to have driven him closer to Pakistan, a country that has yet to apologise for the genocide committed by its armed forces during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. Observers suggest that the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government has chosen to overlook Pakistan’s historical transgressions, prioritising Dhaka’s perceived geopolitical interests over past grievances.
Whether the same geopolitical interest is a factor behind Bangladesh-China bonhomie or not, Dhaka has consistently tried to play with the sensitivities of India. It has allowed China to revive a World War II air base at Lalmonirhat, which lies 12-15 km from the Indian border and 135 km from the Siliguri Corridor—India’s crucial Chicken neck that connects the Northeast with the rest of the country.
Bangladesh has also welcomed Beijing’s participation in the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, thereby, bringing China again closer to India’s border. Then China commenced its work on the Economic and Industrial Zone in Chittagong and modernisation-cum-expansion of Mongla Port.
In addition to all this, Bangladesh has requested China to provide a $5 billion loan for budget support to replenish the crisis-ridden country’s foreign currency reserves and import bills. Already, Bangladesh has taken a total $7.5 billion loan from China, making Beijing Dhaka’s fourth-largest lender.
Main objective of Pakistan and China to form an alternative to the SAARC could be to downsize New Delhi’s influence in the region where India is a key player. Currently a $4 trillion economy, India has played an important role in the development of Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Maldives
In this background, it is hard to rule out possibilities of China’s growing presence in Bangladesh not impacting South Asia’s geopolitical balance and raising security concerns for India. Notably, across South Asia, barring India and Bhutan, almost every country is a participant in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and is grappling with mounting debt owed to Beijing.
This growing economic leverage has enabled China to strategically advance its geopolitical interests in the region. Recent developments in Sri Lanka and the Maldives serve as telling examples, where both nations have been pressured by Beijing to allow the docking of Chinese spy ships and submarines, raising serious security alarms for India and its allies.
Will the new platform be effective?
However, there is no guarantee that China and Pakistan orchestrated-plan to form an alternative to SAARC will not fail. There are several reasons for this: First, many countries in the region are wary of China’s growing dominance and Pakistan’s political instability.
Second, countries like Sri Lanka and Pakistan are struggling with economic woes due to unsustainable Chinese loans. Third, India remains the largest economy and a key strategic player in South Asia and as such, any platform that tries to antagonise India or tries to lower its influence is unlikely to get any momentum in the region.
China, known for concealing its true intention until the last moment, claimed that the three sides agreed to advance trilateral cooperation based on the principles of good neighbourliness, equality and mutual trust, openness and inclusiveness, common development, and win-win cooperation. In its statement, Beijing also said that China-Bangladesh-Pakistan cooperation adheres to true multilateralism, “not directed at any third party”
Fourth, South Asian countries have diverse and conflicting political, economic and security interests. Aligning them with a China-Pakistan-led platform may prove ineffective and impractical.
Fifth, unlike India which shares historical, cultural, and linguistic ties with Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and even with Pakistan, China lacks emotional and cultural resonance in South Asia, therefore, diminishing any chance of a planned new platform remaining effective. Sixth, many countries in the region may think twice before joining a China-Pakistan-led new platform as it will be perceived by them as a move to counterbalance India rather than to genuinely promote regional development.
Overall, the planned China-Pakistan move to create an alternative to SAARC reflects a larger ambition to reshape South Asia’s strategic and diplomatic architecture, its success remains far from certain. The geopolitical landscape of the region is far too complex to be realigned solely through economic inducements or anti-India sentiment.
India’s deep-rooted historical, cultural, and economic ties with its neighbours, along with its rising global profile and robust democratic credentials, continue to command significant influence across South Asia. Any attempt to marginalise India through parallel groupings will not only face natural resistance but also risk further fragmenting the region’s already fragile unity.
Overall, the planned China-Pakistan move to create an alternative to SAARC reflects a larger ambition to reshape South Asia’s strategic and diplomatic architecture, its success remains far from certain. The geopolitical landscape of the region is far too complex to be realigned solely through economic inducements or anti-India sentiment
Rather than fostering genuine regional cooperation, the China-Pakistan initiative appears more like a geopolitical manoeuvre aimed at curbing India’s influence. But unless it offers transparent, inclusive, and mutually beneficial outcomes, something China’s debt-driven diplomacy has repeatedly failed to ensure, it is unlikely to achieve traction among South Asian countries.
In this context, India must remain vigilant, diplomatically agile, and proactive in reinforcing its traditional partnerships while building new ones rooted in trust, mutual respect, and shared prosperity. Nonetheless, the real test for South Asia lies not in choosing sides, but in choosing sustainable and sovereign futures free from coercive alignments.
–The writer is a senior journalist with wide experience in covering international affairs. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
