China has once again tried to push for the presence of its military in Pakistan, ostensibly to protect its nationals and projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), this time through top diplomat Yang Jiechi who recently wrapped up a visit to Islamabad.
Yang Jiechi is an influential member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC) and is known to be the regime’s top troubleshooter in his position as the director of the Central Committee on Foreign Affairs. He is considered to be the architect of Beijing’s 21st century foreign policy and reports directly to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Diplomatic sources told News18 that his visit to Pakistan suggests he may have travelled with a special mission to convince ally Islamabad of the need for Chinese outposts in the country. Sources added that China is particularly concerned over the security of CPEC projects in Balochistan.
A Chinese delegation led by Yang Jiechi reportedly briefed Pakistan army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa about the slow pace of CPEC projects and tabled Beijing’s concerns on the security situation in Balochistan.
In May this year, police in Pakistan had arrested a would-be suicide bomber who planned to blow herself up near a convoy of Chinese nationals along the China Pakistan Economic-Corridor. Two weeks before that, a woman suicide bomber blew herself up on a university campus in the southern port city of Karachi, killing three Chinese teachers and their Pakistani driver.
Balochistan is home to a deep-water port in Gwadar city, which Beijing is developing under the CPEC. Baloch separatists say they’ve been fighting for decades for a greater share in regional mine and mineral resources. They attack gas plants, infrastructure, security forces and Chinese interests, which they say amount to the occupation of their land and resources in the name of development.
Sources said Yang has demanded Chinese military outposts for Gwadar Economic Zone I & Zone II in Balochistan in the first phase. The top diplomat is learnt to have told Bajwa that Beijing has invested more than $60 billion, but the CPEC projects are still incomplete and trade via Gwadar is yet to start.
Sources told News18 that Yang offered another $40-50 billion against the military outposts.
The diplomat’s trip to Pakistan was a follow up after Pakistan military leadership’s recent visit to China. In Pakistan, Yang Jiechi held separate meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari & army chief General Bajwa.
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