Ultimately, while adept diplomacy between Iran and Pakistan prevented last month’s cross-border strikes from escalating into a more severe crisis, it is safe to assume that there will be less trust between Tehran and Islamabad due to the military action that both countries took against targets in the other. Policymakers in Beijing will be keeping a close eye on developments in Iranian-Pakistani relations throughout this year while particularly concerned about the implications of instability near the border area for CPEC, BRI, and the SCO, as well as China’s reputation as a Global South leader.

The bilateral relationships among the SCO members are undeniably complicated, and Beijing’s ability to quickly ease tensions between them will not always be a walk in the park.

Giorgio Cafiero is the CEO of Gulf State Analytics, an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, and an Adjunct Fellow at the American Security Project.

Image: Shutterstock.com.