International pressure and concern notwithstanding, China is now poised to change the maritime strategic equation in the South Asian region. Media reports suggest that the Gwadar port in Balochistan, Pakistan is likely to become operational in April, 2015. Work is in full swing to establish free-trade zones, where a large number of national and international companies have started setting up business centres.
Gwadar gains importance due to its strategic location at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, just outside the Strait of Hormuz.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his visit to Pakistan scheduled for April, 2015, is expected to discuss utility and further development of the port at the highest level.
Gwadar gains importance due to its strategic location at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, just outside the Strait of Hormuz. This strategic location affords for it access to almost two third of the world’s oil reserves and naturally comes as a great boon to energy starved China. In one master stroke China has reduced for itself the importance of the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea and added the most important link to its “string of pearls” around India.
So far as Pakistan is concerned the operationalisation of Gwadar port will greatly enhance its port and trade capability. Its existing two ports at Karachi and Qasim are reaching to the peak of their capacity and with this new addition it will be able to meet the growing domestic demand. It will also be in a position to expand operations for land locked Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan in addition to China.
Interestingly, China was not Pakistan first choice for operationalisation of the Gwadar Port. As far back as 1973, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto offered Gwadar to the US as a Naval Base in exchange of its development. The US failed to understand the importance of the port and declined the offer. A second attempt was made by Pakistan by roping in PSA International of Singapore, one of the world’s largest port operators. Singapore kept dragging its feet to the extent that Pakistan called for a repeal of the agreement and then approached old, trusted and good “friend” China.
Gwadar is expected to have the capability of handling up to 19 million tons of crude oil per year which will be refined at the port itself and then sent to China through the Gwadar-Kashgar pipeline that is on the drawing board.
China did not hesitate for a moment; on February, 18, 2013, the Government of Pakistan handed over operational control of the port to China, even as India and the US looked on. Ever since, China has pumped in millions not only for development of the port but also for a build-up of infrastructure right from the Gwadar to the Chinese city of Kashgar in Xingjian Province. Kashgar is the westernmost city of China located near the border with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Gwadar is expected to have the capability of handling up to 19 million tons of crude oil per year which will be refined at the port itself and then sent to China through the Gwadar-Kashgar pipeline that is on the drawing board. Thus, China is poised to leverage the Gwadar Port for connecting with the Central Asian Republics, Russia and the Middle East.
China is ready to invest a massive sum of nearly 12 Billion USD to build a Pakistan China Economic Corridor (PCEC) for this purpose. In addition China has committed to many more subsidiary projects like two nuclear power reactors in Karachi, an international airport at Gwadar and overland high speed fibre optic link to Rawalpindi to name a few.
The project, however, has many problems, the envisaged connectivity to Kashgar will take a long time to come by and in the interim the Karakoram highway will remain the only link. The infrastructure that is to be built will also pass through Gilgit-Baltistan which is Indian territory under forcible occupation of Pakistan and through Pakistan of China. Pakistan is building the infrastructure illegally. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan have, since long, been demonstrating against the Karakorum highway which they say is the source of drug proliferation and other such crimes in the region.
China has committed to many more subsidiary projects like two nuclear power reactors in Karachi, an international airport at Gwadar and overland high speed fibre optic link to Rawalpindi to name a few.
The festering insurgency in Balochistan is also not being factored in the plans. It is widely believed that the profits will accrue only to the ruling Punjabi elite and Balochistan will be left with no benefits whatsoever. The insurgency, therefore, will witness a spike in the absence of a just political and social package being given to the Baloch people. Such a package is quite unlikely.
The Pakistan newspapers that carried a story on the operationalisation of the Gwadar port also carried another story of militants in Balochistan killing 20 persons in Turbat.
That insurgency and large scale economic activity cannot go hand in hand is something that the Chinese should understand before sinking billions into a project that is likely to get derailed due to the human element.
Sadly, the UPA government lost out on the political initiative by merely expressing “concern” over the Gwadar port deal between China and Pakistan. In fact, the UPA Foreign Minister, Salman Kurshid, at one stage advocated against “overreaction” by India and the need to maintain the “delicate balance in the entire region.”
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The Government of India will now have to take a more dynamic posture in concert with other global powers like the US. The use of Indian occupied territory of Gilgit-Baltistan for this project by Pakistan with involvement of a third party – China and against the wishes of the subjugated people is an issue on which India needs to take a strong moral and diplomatic stand. The matter needs to be taken for arbitration in the International Court of Justice, raised in the United Nations and discussed in international forums. India also needs to highlight the injustice being done to the people of Balochistan and seek for them some respite. If China makes an attempt in concert with Pakistan to foster maritime hegemony in the Arabian Sea than appropriate counter measure will have to be taken. The time for procrastination is over and the need to redraw maritime strategy in concert with the US is more urgent now more than ever before.
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can’t stop myself to laugh while reading that Gilgit-Baltistan is Indian territory…. i think you should say that whole region is Indian territory…You Buffoon..
Apart from strong protest nothing much seems to have come out from the present government of india. However, certaining the concern policy makers are not sleeping. To my mind, the naval power of india is definitely going to get the impetus and have large international influence. In addition, the Chabar port will be given due priority by the government of india.
dear what type of protest you want you bloody dumb ass Indian just want to stop this trade agreement beneficial for the whole world , why and how , and what are your concerns let us know far away thousand miles from this corridor barks likes dogs , and what is Indian strategic importance in Afghanistan as Afghanistan is pakistan neighbor and pak brother, so what type of protest you are going to do and for what , why Indians ass is on fire i just don’t know , but we know “kuttay ki dhum ko kithna bhi nalee may rakoo rahega terey ka tera”.
Moving to ICJ will again make J&K as an international issue. It was neither Pakistan or Kashmiri who demanded plebiscite and callee J&K as a disputed territory. It was India and Nehru who declared it a disputed territory.
12-50 billion dollars are peanuts for China whose reserves are twice the Indian GDP. It is a misconception that Gwadar is part of Baluchistan state.
India should accept the fact that many Indian Muslims have soft corner for Pakistan and also would like to see an Islamic India.
Inrian propoganda would not work anymore. You guys better look into your own issue like seperatist movement at rise. Stop arming militabts in pakistan.
china is great> Pakistan is great> waving of green flag of Pakistan in indian occupied Kashmir shows> india is failed state and propaganda cant make nations and these habitat of valley of ganga and jmana(actuall India) MESSAGE> THIS POLICY (RAM RAM JAPNA PARYIA MAL APNA)LOL> HAD NEVER BEEN SUCESSFUL IN HISTORY> I WONDER FROM THIOUSNADS MILES FAR COME AND TEACH US THESE INDIANS HINDUUS MAKE THIS THING And don’t make this things> this is miracle of hindusim> hehehehe
India has set up all its enemies for success, by default, by having subjugated itself with its grotesque Constitution and laws for more than 65 years so that the Kleptocracy may apply the resources of the State to their exclusive pomp, pleasure, perpetuation, pelf and perversions. With the Ambedkar-Nehru Reservations-Corruption Raj firmly in place any additional enemy is a distraction for India.Afghanistan needs India, Pakistan is an insert because thanks to Nehru and Krishna Menon, India’s land routes to Afghanistan have been severed by Pakistan. But Pakistan is “Kabab men Haddi” where the Haddi of violence, ambitions over Kashmir, the idea of Afghanistan as “strategic depth” or a chip to be manipulated and Islamism will overshadow any trade. I think the right thing to do is for Afghanistan and India to create a tunnel between the two countries that leaves Pakistan out of the equation. Anything else may collapse even before India does. Ambedkar and Nehru achieved a miracle. They transported India aross sace and time to Medieval Europe and rule by Prince John, Guy of Gisborne and Front De Beouf
http://afghanherald.com/articles.php?id=11
How to make a tunnel to afghanistan , and how you thought afghanistan minority indian supporters will do this as i as a pakhthoon afghan die hard for pakistan and believes without pakistan afghanistan cannot run even for a single minute as afghanistan itself depends on pak ports, so in this case what is indian role in afghanistan as pakistan is their brother islamic country , We beleive in american supervision the northern unity which is in minority is depending on india and US but peoples are still with pakistan and specially in majority the pakhthoon tribes not the uzbak and persians also the intensity of attaks these days in qundoz and nooristan is the proof they will remember the ruling parsiwanans their hard times.
And for any reason when Shahra e Karakarum ( Karakarum Road) gets any obstruction , people of GB suffer a lot
we dont hate india but we love pakistan if india want touse pakistan for trade
The part that illustrates concern of GB people for Shahra e Karakuram is mere exaggeration and it shows ill knowledge & blind ness of author. Instead , Shahra e karakuram has connected GB with Pakistani other cities and shortened the journey between Gilgit with abbotabad and Islamabad. Poor knowledge Sir
Our dangers are greater now
Iran, a Shia power faces an unstated threat from the Saudi Arabia-Pakistan Sunni nexus. The US & Iran have just come to an understanding regarding the latter’s nuclear development program. US air power is operating in tandem with Iran supported Shia militias in their struggle against Sunni led ISIS in Iraq. Iran controls access to the Persian Gulf by its occupation of two small islands (Greater & Lesser Tumbs) nominally belonging to the UAE. She already therefore a say in the peaceful export of Saudi, Kuwaiti & Iraqi oil through the Gulf. The US carrier group operates permanently in these waters to ensure free flow of oil. Therefore, it makes immense sense for an understanding to evolve between the US, Iran & India to ensure free navigation rights for all nations in these waters as also to stem any strategic moves by a Pak- China to establish any sort of hegemony over the Arabian Sea.
there is other solution, india and us need to settle baluchistan, more so now when the iron is hot.
can you stop development of Pakistan? never>this is best essay to understand even to world this country india dead against development of Pakistan and progess of people of Pakistan thas why its intelligence RAW using afghan soil to launch terrorism operation in Pakistan>I have told many time in asia only 1 country is reall terrorist that is india>india who taught so called Pakistani Talban of bombing in civilians areas(with help of money) and killing of children so that Chinese and others think not to invest money in Pakistan>for your kind information> Talban about to end and Baluchistan insurgencies dead horse>Pakistan is nuclear state so no any conspiracy can success> thanks to 1971 war> hehehehehe
India has set up all its enemies for success, by default, by having subjugated itself with its grotesque Constitution and laws for more than 65 years so that the Kleptocracy may apply the resources of the State to their exclusive pomp, pleasure, perpetuation, pelf and perversions. With the Ambedkar-Nehru Reservations-Corruption Raj firmly in place any additional enemy is a distraction for India.
I dont think it will not be very successful project firstly because of Baluch insurgency and mainly the Punjabi insurgents who will play merry hell in extracting their pound of flesh
I don’t believe we are in a position to do anything about it, either in Gwadar, or in G-B. We may be able to take on Pakistan Diplomatically but China is a different thing altogether. Best case scenario is to keep the fire burning in Balochistan and expedite the Chabahar port in Iran as a counter to Gwadar. In addition to this, keep a close relationship with island nations in IOR and major stakeholders in SCS.
A very good assessment indeed!