What a bombastic name: BALOCHISTAN!
A difficult year ahead for China’s Xi
Another headache for Mr Xi lies with his pet project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The CPEC is a Chinese “dream”; when he visited Islamabad in April 2015, President Xi pledged $46 billion for it.
Recently Pakistan’s Southern Command Commander Lt. Gen. Aamir Riaz said that India should join and enjoy its benefits. In an outbid, Hua Chunying, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson remarked: “I wonder whether the Indian side takes this offer made by the Pakistani general as a goodwill gesture… China would like to discuss the possibility of introducing a third party.”
Why this sudden kindness and why is India suddenly invited to reap the benefits? The answer is that Islamabad is facing more and more difficulty to sell the Chinese “gift” at home and Beijing slowing realises that the project is more complicated than expected, mainly due the internal situation in Pakistan.
According to the Business Recorder, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced that his government had raised a special security division (SSD), comprising of 15,000 military and civilian armed forces for ensuring the safety of Chinese “brothers” working on the CPEC.
Who will pay? Pakistan for the time being, but many in Pakistan realise that the Chinese “gift” is actually a costly one. Many Pakistani have started feeling in which direction the wind is blowing. A report launched by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) affirmed that: “Given the current rate of influx of Chinese nationals into Balochistan and after the completion of the CPEC, the native population of the area will be outnumbered by 2048.”
A difficult year ahead for China’s Xi
Another headache for Mr Xi lies with his pet project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The CPEC is a Chinese “dream”; when he visited Islamabad in April 2015, President Xi pledged $46 billion for it.
Recently Pakistan’s Southern Command Commander Lt. Gen. Aamir Riaz said that India should join and enjoy its benefits. In an outbid, Hua Chunying, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson remarked: “I wonder whether the Indian side takes this offer made by the Pakistani general as a goodwill gesture… China would like to discuss the possibility of introducing a third party.”
Why this sudden kindness and why is India suddenly invited to reap the benefits? The answer is that Islamabad is facing more and more difficulty to sell the Chinese “gift” at home and Beijing slowing realises that the project is more complicated than expected, mainly due the internal situation in Pakistan.
According to the Business Recorder, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced that his government had raised a special security division (SSD), comprising of 15,000 military and civilian armed forces for ensuring the safety of Chinese “brothers” working on the CPEC.
Who will pay? Pakistan for the time being, but many in Pakistan realise that the Chinese “gift” is actually a costly one. Many Pakistani have started feeling in which direction the wind is blowing. A report launched by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) affirmed that: “Given the current rate of influx of Chinese nationals into Balochistan and after the completion of the CPEC, the native population of the area will be outnumbered by 2048.”
