Why China-Pakistan religious diplomacy should ring alarm for India

India Today

4 days ago

India witnessed a deep Pakistan-China collusion during the 100-hour-long military conflict post-Operation Sindoor in May. While Pakistan was fighting India using Chinese fighter jets and missiles, Chinese satellites were providing real-time battlefield inputs to the Pakistani military.Now, the 'all-weather' alliance between Beijing and Islamabad is taking a new turn. In the last week of July, a high-profile Pakistani religious delegation visited China's Xinjiang province, returning with a joint declaration condemning terrorism as a 'crime against humanity'.advertisementIt all seemed like an initiative in interfaith cooperation. The delegation, which had media professionals besides religious leaders, witnessed Xinjiang's development under China's Belt and Road Initiative and through the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. It also discussed the potential for cooperation between Pakistan and Xinjiang, particularly in combating extremism.However, observers believe China's new religious diplomacy with Pakistan is deeply intertwined with the neighbours' strategic aim to challenge India's regional influence. They point out that China's outreach to Pakistan's religious leadership is more than symbolic—it signals a deeper alignment that poses serious strategic concerns for India.
While the joint declaration condemning terrorism made during the Pakistani religious delegation's visit, at first glance, appeared to be an exercise in promoting peace and interfaith harmony, it in reality reflected Beijing's calculated attempt to use religion as a tool of influence in South Asia while masking its alleged human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims, say observers. This convergence of narratives between Islamabad and Beijing carries implications that go far beyond Xinjiang—it directly feeds into the larger strategy of countering India's regional standing and strengthening anti-India propaganda, particularly in the context of Kashmir.Experts point out that China's claims of Xinjiang being 'terror-free for a decade' were outright endorsed by the Pakistani delegation despite overwhelming evidence from global watchdogs and independent investigations documenting atrocities against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. These include alleged mass detentions in the so-called 're-education camps', forced sterilisations, cultural erasure and destruction of mosques—actions that bodies such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have described as crimes against humanity and even genocide.Yet, Pakistan's religious leaders chose silence over solidarity, betraying the cause of Uyghur Muslims and instead reinforcing China's narrative. Observers say this look-away strategy was deliberate—perhaps the price to be paid for a strategic partnership that now blends military, economic and ideological dimensions.The United States, EU and several western countries have sanctioned China over human rights violations. China watchers maintain that the Pakistani delegation's acceptance of the Chinese narrative serves to whitewash the alleged grave rights abuses. It also raises questions about Pakistan's role in legitimising China's actions despite the shared Islamic heritage rhetoric. 'The Xinjiang outreach is not an isolated move but part of a larger game. It reflects the same [Pakistan-China] synergy that India witnessed during Operation Sindoor, when Pakistan leaned heavily on China for diplomatic and strategic cover. While Beijing avoided direct involvement, it quietly extended support through intelligence-sharing, military assistance and coordinated messaging at global forums,' noted a China expert, who did not wish to be named.advertisementThen, China and Pakistan had worked in tandem to shape narratives portraying India as a destabilising force in South Asia. Beijing is now using religious diplomacy to further cement this alignment. By engaging Pakistan's influential clergy through platforms such as the International Research Council for Religious Affairs and initiatives such as Paigham-e-Pakistan (a decree against terrorism and extremism), China seeks not only to cleanse its image in the Muslim world but also weaponise religion to legitimise Islamabad's stance on Kashmir as against India's, say Beijing watchers.For India, this is a wake-up call. If left unchecked, it could create an ideological and diplomatic flank that Beijing and Islamabad will exploit to erode New Delhi's standing among Islamic countries. Experts say India will need a multi-pronged counter-strategy. At the diplomatic level, India must strengthen ties with key Islamic nations in the Gulf region, Central Asia and ASEAN and expose China's duplicity of claiming solidarity with Muslims abroad while allegedly committing atrocities against Uyghurs at home. 'India should consider leveraging the Uyghur rights issue as a strategic card, subtly raising concerns at multilateral forums and supporting credible international reports on Xinjiang,' said an expert.advertisementAt the same time, India must invest in a narrative warfare to counter the propaganda emerging from the China-Pakistan axis, highlighting its own record of religious harmony while showcasing the authoritarian manipulation behind China's outreach.Operation Sindoor demonstrated how external propaganda can fuel internal fault lines. Cyber defences, intelligence monitoring and proactive measures to prevent infiltration of narrative would be crucial. China's Xinjiang diplomacy is not about interfaith peace but power projection and image management.By aligning Pakistan's religious leadership with its agenda, Beijing is seen as building a soft-power tool to complement its hard-power strategies. For India, ignoring this would be a strategic error, one that could allow a manufactured faade of harmony to turn into a potent instrument of regional destabilisation.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch