Read on Twitter
Three things which stood out in this story on China-Pak ties based on a “new U.S. intelligence assessment”: https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2020-08-06/new-china-pakistan-axis-undermines-us-in-afghanistan-strengthens-uighur-persecution
1. There is a new, stepped up intelligence sharing arrangement between China and Pakistan, as part of which China is letting Pakistan in, in words of @VJS_Policy, ‘behind the curtain’.
2. Pakistan has obtained pledges from the Taliban against Chinese separatist groups based on Afghanistan, like ETIM, which are (apparently) more credible than Taliban commitments against al-Qaida.
3. US officials believe that Pakistan has been sharing intelligence with China on India, some of which is specific to the ongoing India-China dispute.
Interesting story though I’d have liked more language from the assessment to infer how much of a step-up this is. Also, in Pak context, ministry of defense is insignificant so that bit was odd. And we’ll see on Taliban’s commitment to a crackdown against Chinese separatists.
On politics of the assesment’s leak, I can think of two possible angles: 1) given the Afghanistan framing, possibly meant to situate US withdrawal as part of “great power competition” 2) signaling to India to take China seriously, in case it isn’t.
