"John Garver succinctly sums up China’s Pakistan policy (1992): ’China’s overriding strategic interest

is to keep Pakistan independent, powerful and confident enough to present India with a standing
two-front threat ..... Were India able to dissolve this two front threat by subordinating Pakistan, its
position against China would be much stronger..... [This would amount to] conceding South Asia as
an Indian sphere of influence. Such a move would spell the virtual end to Chinese aspirations of
being the leading Asian power and would greatly weaken China’s position against Indian power.’ (P.
174).