China and Pakistan (and Afghanistan)

China is waiting on the sidelines to see how the Afghan situation develops in the post-2014 era. It has a great interest in the abundant natural resources of Afghanistan - of note is its arrangement with the Afghan government for the development of the copper mine in Logar province. While the United States is realigning its diplomatic and military efforts with a "Pacific pivot", China is looking to its west - to Central and South Asia in an attempt to reinvigorate a "new silk road". However, as much as China would like to further develop its political and economic ties with Afghanistan it must also reconcile these efforts with its relationship with Pakistan. The Pakistan -China - India dynamic is a delicate balancing act and will affect the degree that China involves itself politically and economically in a post-2014 Afghanistan. To learn more about the relationship between China and Pakistan see "China's all-weather friend in Pakistan", Registan.net, February 10, 2014. Learn more about China and its relationship with Afghanistan.