The article evaluates the presence of Chinese private security companies (PSCs) in Pakistan and its implications for China’s engagement in South Asia. It looks at Chinese debates on the role of PSCs, their legal status and relationship with the Chinese government, and past experiences of deployment of PSCs overseas in other parts of the world to contextualise the presence of Chinese PSCs in Pakistan. The security of economic projects and Chinese nationals in Pakistan has become a critical issue for China in recent years.
The article attempts to explain India’s contrasting strategic choices with regard to China-led initiatives in South Asia. While India chose to join the AIIB, it has opposed the BRI. While the India–China relationship has been defined by the security dilemma for long, China’s involvement in the region makes the security dimension even more salient. More so, because infrastructure connectivity projects change the existing relations of power and influence.
