Key Points:

• Public diplomacy is an important tool for Beijing to ease public concerns and gain public support in nations that receive Chinese help and investment. Since the BRI started in 2013, financial diplomacy has advanced significantly.
• Despite their extensive diplomatic contacts, China’s cultural difference from Pakistan may prevent it from adopting the Chinese language and values.
• The closer Pakistan is to China economically, the more open it would be to absorb its language, culture, and traditions.
• This research shows that the footprints of China’s financial diplomacy have grown significantly, focusing large-scale expenditures on a small number of strategically crucial communities.
• The province of Sindh received the highest financial aid from Beijing, almost 13 billion dollars, or around 10 per cent of Beijing’s entire financial diplomacy in South and Central Asia.