This last week, news regarding China-Pakistan cooperation was dominated by Chabahar Port, security issues for Chinese nationals working on (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) CPEC in Pakistan, and compounding electricity woes.
Chabahar
Former ambassador Javed Hussain has said that Iran and India have been working on Chabahar Port project for many years, and it is premature to say that the project would benefit the world to great extent.[1] Chabar, naturally, has emerged as a direct competitor to Pakistan’s Gawadar port, and the Indian investment in the region has been pronounced and unprecedented. For details, please see this detailed piece from our Research Fellow Sitwat Bokhari.[2]
Maintaining diplomatic neutrality, the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan said Islamabad and Beijing are welcome to join New Delhi and Kabul in developing the strategic port of Chabahar in southeastern Iran.[3] This is an odd statement, given that His Excellency is fully cognizant of the sheer amount of time, effort, energy and resources Pakistan and China are pouring into Gawadar port to make it a success.
Electricity Woes
With the summer in full swing and temperatures soaring to 52 degrees Celsius, load shedding in the country has reached a record high, with the public up in arms about electricity shortages. To make matters worse, the $2.1 billion mega project of erecting 878-kilometre long transmission line to transmit 4,000MW electricity from Sindh under CPEC initiative has run into problems. The Chinese company that is to build this project has demanded from the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) Rs33 billion as annual revenue for 25 years and sought the full capacity charges even if less than 4,000MW electricity is dispatched a day.[4] All things considered, this should get resolved sooner or later, but the fact that issues of this nature and scale continue to plague the cooperation mechanism is worrisome.
The following day, Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) said the government should provide all the required resources for timely completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Delaying the project to resource constraints is not acceptable and the masses will never allow it, it said.[5]
The CPEC has also come under fire recently from environmentalist for its heavy reliance on coal-based energy. So much so that the mix of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s energy portfolio because of the huge proportion of coal-fired projects is now under review.[6] This is a good step, as the rest of the world is also stepping away from coal and looking to enhance clean energy portfolios. Pakistan is also signatory to international conventions on environmental concerns, and has certain responsibilities in this regard.
Security Issues
A Chinese engineer, his driver and a private guard were injured on the National Highway last week in a bomb attack claimed by the little-known Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army opposed to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, according to officials.[7] This is a continuing problem for CPEC security, and given the nature of the project, the 3000 kilometers of terrain that needs to be covered, and the nature of the opposing force’s guerilla tactics, foolproof security is an ideal, not a reality. Further, it was reported that intelligence agencies had already warned the provincial authorities that a particular Sindhi separatist group might attack Chinese nationals working on development projects in the province.[8] While worrisome, it must be kept in mind that hundreds of such warnings are issued daily, and if the security apparatus was to react to or act upon every single threat, the entire mechanism would collapse.
Following the American drone strike that killed Mullah Mansour, the leader of the Taliban in Balochistan, Pakistan is once again banking on its most-trusted friend, China, for help to save it from unending US drone strikes and to support Islamabad’s case before the world, official sources said.[9] China has a long-standing history with Pakistan on defense on cooperation and Pakistan hopes that China can help enhance its capability in both detecting and destroying foreign drones operating in its airspace.
General
Federal Minister Planning, Development & Reform Ahsan Iqbal yesterday said that 30 of the 46 billion dollars promised for CPEC have already been actualized in the form of various projects.[10] Further, the government has also approved an Rs 33.2 billion for 24 development projects during the next financial year 2016-17 under the CPEC, out of which Rs 9.7 billion have been reserved for 12 Gwadar-related projects.[11] It was also reported that the ailing Pakistan Railways will complete projects to upgrade its infrastructure in three phases under the CPEC.[12] The CPEC is a network of roads, highways, train routes, and other infrastructure, dotted with special economic zones.
Addressing a joint Parliament session in Islamabad, President Mamnoon Hussain said that the $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project will see several governments before its completion.[13] The president has been increasingly active in making public statements, some of which have landed him hot water with the ruling party and this latest statement, while appearing innocuous, is loaded with implication. First, this goes against the initial estimates that the CPEC projects will principally be completed within this election cycle. Second, it also implies that the president is not fully confident that the next government will also be formed by Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) in the driving seat.
The 21st Century belongs to Asia in general and China in particular, says ex-ambassador Syed Hasan Javed in his book ‘China.’ Rise of China and the Asian Century’.[14] These are strong sentiments, but backed by a massive push by China to dramatically increase its economic and cultural footprint across the world.
by Zeeshan Salahuddin, a journalist and researcher, who serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad, and holds a bachelor and master degree in strategic communications from Ithaca College, NY. He can be reached via zeeshan[dot]salahuddin[at]gmail.com and tweets @zeesalahuddin.
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[1] Staff Reporter. (2016, May 30). Gwadar be made operational ‘at earliest’. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://nation.com.pk/national/30-May-2016/gwadar-be-made-operational-at-earliest
[2] Staff Reporter. (2015, July 23). Development of Chabahar Port and the Strategic Turf Wars between Regional Rivals. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from https://crss.pk///story/development-of-chabahar-port-and-the-strategic-turf-wars-between-regional-rivals/
[3] Staff Reporter. (2014, May 29). Iran Welcomes China, Pakistan to Join Chabahar Project: Envoy. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2016/05/29/1087127/iran-welcomes-china-pakistan-to-join-chabahar-project-envoy
[4] Mustafa, K. (2016, May 30). $2.1 bn CPEC project to transmit 4,000MW electricity runs into snags. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/123836-21-bn-CPEC-project-to-transmit-4000MWelectricity-runs-into-snags
[5] Staff Reporter. (2016, May 29). Govt shouldn’t compromise CPEC development: PEW. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/05/29/business/govt-shouldnt-compromise-cpec-development-pew/
[6] Staff Reporter. (2016, June 2). ‘Share of coal in CPEC energy mix to be cut’. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/124496-Share-of-coal-in-CPEC-energy-mix-to-be-cut
[7] Ali, I. (2016, May 31). Chinese engineer working on power plant hurt in bomb blast. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://w ww.dawn.com/news/1261718/chinese-engineer-working-on-power-plant-hurt-in-bomb-blast
[8] Rehman, Z. (2016, May 31). Warnings were out about SDLA plan to attack Chinese nationals. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from https://www.geo.tv/latest/106979-Warnings-were-out-about-SDLA-plan-to-attack-Chinese-nationals
[9] Ali, S. (2016, May 30). Pak turns to China over US drone strikes. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://www.asianage.com/international/pak-turns-china-over-us-drone-strikes-942
[10] Staff Reporter. (2016, May 27). CPEC projects worth $30b in implementation stage, says Ahsan. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://nation.com.pk/national/27-May-2016/cpec-projects-worth-30b-in-implementation-stage-says-ahsan
[11] Sial, A. (2016, May 30). CPEC projects earmarked Rs 33.2b in FY 2016-17. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/05/30/national/cpec-projects-earmarked-rs-33-2b-in-fy-2016-17/
[12] Siddiqui, Z.M. (2016, May 31). PR infrastructure upgrade under CPEC to complete in phases. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://www.dawn.com/news/1261767/pr-infrastructure-upgrade-under-cpec-to-complete-in-phases
[13] (2016, June 1). CPEC will see several govts before its completion: President Mamnoon. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://tribune.com.pk/story/1114386/opposition-no-right-impose-will-govt-illegal-means-mamnoon/
[14] (2016, May 30). 21st century belongs to China, says ex-ambassador Hassan Javed. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://nation.com.pk/national/30-May-2016/21st-century-belongs-to-china-says-ex-ambassador-hassan-javed