DIGITAL GEOPOLITICS AND STRATEGIC AUTONOMY: ASSESSING PAKISTAN’S FOREIGN POLICY RESPONSES TO U.S.–CHINA TECH RIVALRY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC ERA

Abstract

The accelerating technological rivalry between the United States and China has transformed global geopolitics into a digitally driven contest for influence, where control over artificial intelligence, 5G infrastructure, semiconductors, and cybersecurity systems increasingly defines state power. Within this evolving landscape, the Indo-Pacific has emerged as a central arena of strategic competition, compelling middle powers to recalibrate their foreign policy orientations. This study examines Pakistan’s foreign policy responses to U.S.–China technological rivalry and assesses the extent to which it maintains strategic autonomy in the context of digital geopolitics.

Adopting a qualitative-explanatory research design, the study utilized thematic analysis of 85 secondary sources, including policy documents, institutional reports, and peer-reviewed literature. The findings indicate that Pakistan adopts a pragmatic hedging strategy, balancing engagement between competing technological ecosystems. However, increasing dependence on Chinese digital infrastructure—particularly through the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor—combined with limited domestic technological capacity, significantly constrains its strategic autonomy. The study further reveals that digital geopolitics has redefined traditional notions of sovereignty, making technological dependence a central determinant of foreign policy behavior.

The study contributes to international relations literature by integrating digital geopolitics with strategic autonomy theory and providing an empirically grounded case study of a middle-power state navigating technological bifurcation. It also offers policy insights for strengthening digital sovereignty and enhancing strategic resilience in an increasingly polarized technological order.