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China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Chinese people working in Pakistan are being continuously attacked. Meanwhile, there is talk that China now wants to deploy its security forces in Pakistan and is pressurizing Pakistan to allow it. Last month, two Chinese engineers were killed in a bomb blast at Karachi airport. Both the engineers had returned to work after holidays from Thailand. According to sources, China is now preparing to deploy security forces for the safety of engineers working in Pakistan.
Chinese engineers are working on many projects in Pakistan. The most important of which is China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). CPEC is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s dream project ‘Belt and Road Initiative’. This year many Chinese engineers working on CPEC have been attacked.
A Pakistani official said that China wants to deploy its security forces here. For this, China has sent a written proposal to Pakistan. Pakistan has not yet agreed on this. Pakistan’s security agencies are also against this proposal of China.
Why does China want this?
About 30 thousand Chinese citizens work in Pakistan. Most of them are working on CPEC. This three thousand kilometer long corridor starts from Kashgar in China and ends at Gwadar in Pakistan. Gwadar is in Balochistan. Baloch allege that China and Pakistan are usurping their resources. This is why the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is targeting the people and engineers working on this project.
The BLA has a long history of attacking Chinese workers. There have been bomb blasts outside the Chinese Consulate in Karachi in 2018, Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar in 2019, Pakistan Stock Exchange in 2020 and bomb blasts outside Karachi University in 2022. In August 2021, a convoy of Chinese workers was attacked in Gwadar, in which many people were injured. Earlier in July, a bus carrying Chinese workers was attacked in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in which 9 people were killed.
The Baloch allege that despite being rich in resources, Balochistan is economically backward and hold not only the Pakistan government but also China responsible for this. Apart from BLA, other terrorist organizations also keep targeting Chinese citizens. In 2017, a Chinese couple was kidnapped and murdered in Quetta. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has also targeted many Chinese citizens.
Will Chinese army remain deployed in Pakistan?
China has been shocked by this attack. It has been pressurizing Pakistan for a long time to deploy its security forces for the safety of its citizens. At a recent meeting, Chinese officials presented evidence that Pakistan has failed to follow safety protocols for Chinese workers. There is a safety protocol for Chinese workers working in Pakistan, which both countries allow. Chinese workers are afforded a high level of protection when they are working or traveling. In the meeting, China claimed not to follow security protocols twice in a month.
China is furious after the death of two Chinese engineers at Karachi Airport. Chinese officials claim that a truck filled with 100 kg of explosives kept hovering outside the airport for about 40 minutes. It is not checked and eventually collides with a car carrying Chinese engineers. China considered this a serious security breach. Chinese officials even admit that information about the schedules of Chinese engineers came from ‘inside’.
China wants to deploy its security forces to protect its workers. However, Pakistan’s security agencies are against it. Pakistani officials say that Chinese security forces may be deployed around Chinese embassies and consulates.
How big a concern is the deployment of Chinese army for India?
China has invested $62 billion in Pakistan for CPEC. This project was launched in 2015. A network of highways, railway lines, pipelines and optical cables is being built in this corridor. China is continuously pressurizing Pakistan to allow sending its security forces. Till now Pakistan has not given its approval but China is its staunch friend and it is possible that if not today then tomorrow it will give its approval.
If Pakistan allows this then Chinese army will be deployed there. This will be a matter of concern for India. Because with this the Chinese army will also come to POK, because work on many projects is going on here too. India will not tolerate the presence of any foreign army in PoK. Chinese military presence in PoK will increase Chinese interference near India’s northern border. Due to this, there may also be a danger of increasing tension on the northern border between India and China in future.