‘Iron Brothers’ China And Pakistan Learn To Do Business Together

NEW DELHI: In the popular narrative about China being wily, manipulative and a bully, it’s easy to overlook that Chinese diplomacy and commerce, even its media, have had to adjust their strategies, working methods and culture to suit the countries they are operating in. This is so even in the case of China’s ‘Iron Brother’ Pakistan, where despite decades of close political and strategic ties, Chinese firms and employers have had to tailor their approach and work with local firms to succeed. In a study for the Carnegie Endowment titled ‘The Local Roots of Chinese Engagement with Pakistan’, researcher Muhammad Tayyab Safdar writes that “China’s engagement with Pakistani political, social, and economic institutions comes in response to local conditions. By adapting to these conditions and working through local institutions and actors, a host of Chinese actors are poised to continue deepening their interactions with different parts of Pakistani society.”...Read More