Days after the first roll-out of a new fighter jet built jointly by Pakistan and China, India has reiterated its concern about China’s growing involvement in the sub-continent. The JF-17 is an advanced fighter developed equally between both Pakistan and China, and is just one example of the increasing cooperation between the two nations.
The most recent release of advanced weaponry comes just one year after the terrorist attack in Mumbai, which India maintains were coordinated from inside Pakistan. While western leaders have praised India’s restraint towards Pakistan following the attacks, the U.S. has warned Pakistan that they cannot assure India’s continued restraint in the event of another similar attack. The military cooperation by India’s two main rivals-China and Pakistan-has made India increasingly uneasy, raising the China-Pakistan relationship in talks with the U.S. as an issue of mutual concern. During his recent visit to the United States, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh voiced concern over China’s more assertive role in South Asia. As both India and the United States resolve to take a hard-line against terrorist activity in Pakistan, their policies towards China remain centered on engagement.