Once upon a time, “Long Live China-Pakistan Friendship” was a diplomatic slogan used by Chinese state media to spread across the globe. From helping build dams and high-speed rail projects to jointly developing fighter jets, Pakistan has long been China’s most trusted “iron brother” and a core customer for military exports.
But this time, Pakistan has not chosen China.
On May 29, Pakistan’s second “Babur-class” corvette, PNS Khaibar, ordered from Turkey, completed port testing and left Istanbul, officially starting sea trials. This was not an ordinary ship trial; it represented a $1.5 billion strategic shift: four corvettes were all ordered from Turkey, leaving Beijing with nothing.
What’s even more ironic is that Pakistan has indeed used Chinese ships in the past. Back in 2017, they introduced four 054A/P class frigates from China—larger, more powerful, and delivered more quickly, at a cheaper price. But this time, they chose the inferior, assembled “Babur-class”.
So, the question arises: why did China lose to an “assembled product” when their ships had better performance, lower prices, and quicker delivery?
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