Asma Maqsood
30/08/2017
Being part of OBOR Strategy, CPEC is playing an inevitable role in China’s aim for economic expansion which will benefiting Pakistan’s economic situation. It depends upon Pakistan’s ability to sustain its political stability, internal security situation and provincial harmony and ability to curb extremism which is up to certain extent, Pakistan have been successful. There are social, the bilateral basis for CPEC which is multifaceted. As on the one hand, it is important for China to cooperate through economics and trade according to liberal views. It is pertinent o discuss here that it is an apprehension in some analysts’ views that China is capitalizing in the vacuum in the bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US for its economic and its strategic interests. I am differing here that Pakistan’s aspirations for the concrete ties with China are not against the US or at the cost of Pak-US relations which have been strained since 2015 instead both China and Pakistan have been true friends and diplomatic relations throughout their history. This project will be bringing up Pakistan’s regional connectivity prospects as well as for the economic growth by boosting the demands for domestic goods and services. Apart from this, there is optimism regarding this project that it would create peace and stability in the region including Afghanistan. The operationalization of Gwadar Port in 2016 is the obvious example of what CPEC is delivering on the ground.
As China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: ” If One Belt One Road is like a symphony involving ad benefitting every country then the construction of China Pakistan Economic Corridor is a sweet melody of the symphony’s first movement.” So if this is a sweet melody, then all the stake holders of this mega project must take deep interest to secure this making peace in Baluchistan. On the progressive way of CPEC, the negative impulses are overtly coming from India towards proposed CPEC routes and the development of Gwadar Port because of two obvious reasons; first is that these planned routes pass through the conflicted territories of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir among India China and Pakistan. The second reason is that India has serious concerns that Gwadar will be a Chinese naval base. In response to this, both China and Pakistan clarified that the port would be only used for economic purposes, but India still has fears of the Chinese navy access to the Indian Ocean. Last year India’s PM termed the corridor “unacceptable” for the same reason. As far as the security is concerned Andrew Small in his book “The China-Pakistan Axis” maintains that the biggest concern for the Chinese is growing terrorism in the region, especially in its most trusted ally Pakistan where Beijing has agreed to invest $46 billion (earlier cost) for CPEC. However, Islamabad has repeatedly raised its voices against India that it is fomenting attacks with just that goal in mind. In recent few days, Donald Trump has passed harsh remarks on Pakistan, long accused of harboring terrorists have drawn an accurate response from China and Russia which are two emerging allies of Pakistan and have participated in various talks to resolve the Afghan crises.
“We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars, at the same time they are housing the same terrorists that we are fighting,” Trump said in a televised address on Monday 21 August 2017. Further, he says that he is committed to leading the US to victory in America’s longest war in history and warned that Islamabad had “much to lose” by continuing to offer safe havens to agents of Chaos. It is pertinent to discuss here that since 2001, US has lost more than 2200 troops in Afghanistan and in Trumps’ new strategy he will be deploying more 4000 troops. As Pakistan, Moscow and Beijing since 2016, held a series of table talks to wipe out terrorism in the region. According to one estimate of South Asia Terrorism Portal, there were 22,000 Pakistani civilians, and 6800 security personals have been killed since 2003. It does matter in the unbiased analysis whether it had been acknowledged by the US or not. Looking at Pakistan’s diplomatic relations with Russia and China, Trump’s statement has some counter statements. Such as Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes person Hua Chunying appreciated Pakistan, its all-weather friend for making great sacrifices and significant contributions in the fight against terrorism and called international community to recognize Islamabad’s efforts fully. And Russian Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov speaking on Russia’s Afghanistan Daily that Pakistan is a key regional player to negotiate with. He further said “putting pressure on Pakistan may seriously destabilize the region-wide security situation and result in adverse consequences for Afghanistan.
Summing up, the whole discussion I would say that Pakistan and China will be accomplishing their mutual ventures particularly CPEC despite many obstacles and hindrances put forward by India with the assistance of the United States. Pakistan will not be sandwiched between India’s and US’s stringent policies in the South Asia region because it has realized the unfruitful results in the long period of war on terror, at that time Pakistan has not another option except to be with the US. But now it is in a better position in the whole geostrategic fulcrum of the United States.