Editor's Note: The article is based on an interview with Zhao Gancheng, a research fellow at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies. The article reflects the expert's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Less than a month after meeting China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan embarked on a two-day visit to China on Tuesday – his third official trip to the country in 2019.

"Pakistan's foreign policy determines its intense interactions with China," Zhao Gancheng, a research fellow at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told CGTN. Maintaining close ties with Beijing has long been a central part of Islamabad's foreign policy. 

Known as Iron Brothers, Pakistan and China have seen intense cooperation on international affairs in the past decades. Islamabad is always ready to back Beijing, and in turn, Beijing is always the first partner Islamabad turns to when seeking help.

Since assuming office, Imran Khan has been perplexed by a slew of domestic and international conundrums. Among them, India's unilateral decision to revoke the special status for India-controlled Kashmir in August is especially alarming for the Pakistani government. Khan's China visit, made against this backdrop, is widely believed as an attempt to seek Beijing's pressure on New Delhi.

The Kashmir issue has long been the bone of contention in Islamabad-New Delhi relationship, on which the two countries have fought at least three wars, according to media reports. The Indian government's move on Kashmir means that the UN-recognized disputed territory was forcibly transformed into "India's." This, from Pakistan's perspective, is a blatant provocation to its sovereignty.

"Eager for Beijing's support on the Kashmir issue, Khan aims to have a thorough knowledge of Beijing's bottom line on New Delhi's unilateral move, especially as top-level Chinese officials are reported to visit India in late October," Zhao said.

Apart from its sovereign concerns, Pakistan is also on high alert of any potential damages Kashmir tensions may exert on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative that has instilled new momentum to the South Asian country's economy. In this context, the CPEC, according to Zhao, is another significant agenda of Khan's China's trip.

Since its implementation, the CPEC has brought an improved network of roads, a sufficient amount of electricity, and tremendous job opportunities to Pakistan. Any suspension or obstacle to the mega project is thus, by no means, what Islamabad is happy to see.

However, tensions over the disputed Kashmir region where the CPEC passes will, for sure, exert negative effects on the CPEC. India's Kashmir move and its treatment of Kashmiris have already triggered protests in the region. 

Worse still, if Pakistan chooses to support the anti-government forces in India as retaliation against the country's Kashmir provocations, Islamabad and New Delhi may be dragged in an all-out confrontation. This would bring catastrophic results to the CPEC.

Pakistan may not be capable enough to protect the mega project on its own and needs Beijing's assistance to safeguard the CPEC from being jeopardized by the escalating border tensions. This is what Khan needs to communicate with Chinese officials on this trip.

Will Khan's trip bear fruits? The Chinese government stated earlier that it supports Pakistan's pursuit of independence and sovereign interests. However, Beijing has no intention to rake up Kashmir or involve itself in India-Pakistan border disputes. 

Maintaining a neutral stance on Kashmir tensions, an issue left over from history, has been a foreign policy of Beijing since the Cold War era. As an Iron Brother of Pakistan, China sincerely hopes that the territorial disputes between New Delhi and Islamabad could be addressed in a peaceful manner.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com.)