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Sino-US Involvement in Afghanistan: Implications for South Asian Stability and Security

In the aftermath of 9/11, the US’ and China’s engagement in Afghanistan has portrayed competitive underpinnings manifested in the matrix of great power politics. Viewed under neo-structural realism and complex interdependence perspectives, Sino-US interests have straddled on convergence and divergence, portraying the desire to subdue the other players in Afghanistan. Sino-US competitive balancing has unleashed wide implications for the South Asian regional security and stability. Within this context, this study aims to analyse Sino-US involvement in Afghanistan post-9/11 to draw implications for regional security, particularly Pakistan-India and Afghanistan-Pakistan relations. It seeks to answer the following questions: i) What is the broad pattern of Sino-US competitive involvement in Afghanistan? ii) What implications can be drawn of Sino-US competitive balancing for stability in South Asia? The study argues that Sino-US power interplay has polarised the region while unleashing negative imprints for Pakistan’s relations with both India and Afghanistan.