Islamism has long been a thorn in relations between China and Pakistan. Following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, Pakistan’s Islamists made a determined push to forge closer ties with Muslim separatists in China. They made overtures in the mainly Muslim western province of Xinjiang. Some even believed the creation of an Islamic republic in China was possible. The resulting diplomatic strain haunts policymakers on both sides.

　　长期以来，伊斯兰主义一直是中国与巴基斯坦关系中的一根刺。1989年苏联撤出阿富汗后，巴基斯坦的伊斯兰主义者决意要与中国的穆斯林分裂势力建立紧密关系。他们在以穆斯林人口为主的西部省份新疆示好。有些人甚至认为，在中国创建一个伊斯兰共和国是可能的。由此导致的外交紧张深深地困扰着双方的政策制定者。

　　Today, Pakistan’s Islamists no longer flaunt ambitions to radicalise their Chinese co-religionists. Instead, they now see Beijing as a trusted friend. In the wider population, according to recent polls by Washington’s Pew Research Center, as many as three-quarters of those surveyed took a negative view of the US. The majority saw Pakistan’s biggest ally more as a foe than a friend, fearing it could become a military threat.

　　如今，巴基斯坦的伊斯兰主义者不再夸耀要让中国教友们变得激进的雄心。相反，他们现在把北京方面视作可信赖的朋友。华盛顿皮尤研究中心(Pew Research Center)近期的调查结果显示，在更广泛的民众中，有多达四分之三的受访者对美国持负面看法。对于巴基斯坦的这个最大盟友，大部分人更多的是把它视作敌人，而非朋友，担心它可能成为一个军事威胁。

　　"China’s friendship to Pakistan is an important guarantee for our stability," says Liaquat Baloch, a senior leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, a mainstream religious political party. “China relates to other countries without any agenda, where the US has an agenda which is all about interfering in the lives of others,” he says.

　　“中巴友谊是巴基斯坦稳定的一个重要保障，”主流宗教性政党“伊斯兰大会党”(Jamaat-e-Islami)的高级领导人利雅卡特?巴洛奇(Liaquat Baloch)表示，“中国在与他国交往时没有任何议程，而美国的外交议程尽是怎么干涉别国事务。”

　　Pakistan’s security officials say the armed forces in both countries, which now have strong ties, played a big hand in this turnround. The Pakistani army moved fast to block local Islamist militants from linking up with Uighur Muslim separatists. By contrast, it has nurtured militant groups threatening India and Afghanistan.

　　巴基斯坦的安全官员表示，中巴两国军队对双方外交关系的转变起到了重要作用。两国军方如今联系紧密。巴基斯坦军队在阻止本地伊斯兰武装分子与维吾尔族穆斯林分裂势力建立联系方面行动迅速。与之形成对比的是，巴军培育了威胁印度和阿富汗的武装集团。

　　"A decision was made early on which drew the line. [There would be] zero tolerance for anyone trying to destabilise China’s interests in Xinjiang," says one Pakistani security official.

　　“巴方早就做出决定，划清了界线，绝不姑息任何企图破坏中国在新疆利益稳定的人，”一位巴基斯坦安全官员表示。

　　One of Beijing’s main preoccupations in Pakistan is watching Islamist groups that may yet pose a threat – particularly the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. Following riots in Xinjiang three years ago, Islamabad pledged its support for “breaking the back” of this separatist group, which is based in its territory.

　　中国在巴基斯坦最关切的事务之一，是监控仍然可能构成威胁的伊斯兰组织，特别是“东突厥斯坦伊斯兰运动”。3年前新疆发生骚乱后，巴基斯坦承诺为“摧毁”这个分裂组织提供支持。东突的大本营就在巴基斯坦境内。

　　"China still likes to keep an eye on those Islamic groups which it considers to be reckless," says Tanvir Ahmad Khan, a former senior diplomat. “We have had some cases of attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan. But the positive development is the mindset among Islamists who now see the US as the main global threat.”

　　前高级外交官坦维尔·艾哈迈德汗(Tanvir Ahmad Khan)表示：“中国仍喜欢盯着那些在其看来行事不计后果的伊斯兰组织。巴基斯坦发生过一些袭击中国人事件，但形势正在好转，伊斯兰主义者现在把美国视作主要的国际威胁。”