The Enduring Embrace: A Constructivist Analysis of Identity Co-Construction in the China-Pakistan "All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership"

Abstract

In its place of traditional bilateral studies, Background of this article discusses the discursive construct of the Pakistan-China all-weather friendship self-evidently depicts the striking Kantian notions of friendship into its own bilateralism. Its potential to change is inevitably restricted through its overall anarchical environment. Its lasting combative identity against India, beneficial for Pakistan, large disparity in power, sub textual conditionality’s, and absence of sufficient and profound integration of society beyond the elite discourses make it incapable of a wholly universal Kantian relationship, transforming the culture of anarchy of the whole region (or even the globe). Based on a Qualitative Research design & Methodology, discourse analysis & process tracing is performed on official state documents, diplomatic communiques & large media discourse of all the three countries. These Major Findings are that Kantian friendship between Pakistan & China tends to the advent of constructivism within the International Relations with an intellectual challenge of great magnitude towards the centuries of dominance by realism and liberalism. Although all theories are trying to interpret international phenomena, there are profound differences between the ontological assumptions (what lies as the reality) and the epistemological tools (how can we know that reality) that ultimately lead to drastically divergent conceptions of international politics. These differences are essential to comprehending why constructivism has a unique analytical advantage on the examination of the Pakistan and China bilateral relation. It concludes & gives a strong sum up, we expounded, that the Pakistan-China relationship of an all-weather friendship can be cited as a striking instance of a cooperative culture of anarchy with strong Kantian inclinations, the asymmetry of power in the relationship sets a critical structural restriction. The result of this asymmetry is that the norms of trust and reciprocity are internalized but Pakistan tends to be the subordinate, but highly regarded, junior partner.