Pakistan-China friendship is a
synonym of trust when it comes to friendly relations between two different
states. Islamabad and Beijing have been in good and helping relations in the
past. This is the reason the affinity between the two countries has been dubbed
as deeper than the seas and taller than mountains.
Historically China and Pakistan are one of those neighboring countries in the
world that have extended helping hand to each other in time of need. And China
has always rushed to the rescue of Islamabad.
The multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is yet another
landmark initiative of Beijing that promises green revolution in Pakistan and as
a result, the Pakistanis a nation has pinned hopes on the project as well.
The 3,000 km network of roads, railways and pipelines to transport oil and gas
from southern Pakistan’s Gwadar Port to Kashgar City, northwestern China’s
Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, is the biggest foreign investment ever
launched on Pakistani soil.
A project of the Belt and Road initiative as well, the CPEC intends to revive
the ancient Silk Road with a focus on infrastructure, and constitutes the
strategic framework of bilateral cooperation.
Both civil and military leadership in Pakistan are fully committed to
materialize the dream and once the project accomplishes, China and Pakistan will
be internationally known as exemplary brotherly states.
CPEC links China’s strategy to develop its western region with Pakistan by
boosting its economy, including the infrastructure construction of Gwadar Port,
together with some energy cooperation and investment programs.
Pakistan’ parliament echoed with thumping of desks when Chinese President Xi
Jinping addressed the august house April 21, 2015. And Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif recently inaugurated the first solar powered Parliament in the world
materialized by the assistance of China.
But the CPEC is a distinguished project for both Islamabad and Beijing as it
will reduce China’s dependency on routes of oil and gas imports from Africa and
the Middle East by thousands of kilometers, making Gwadar a potentially vital
link in China’s supply chain.
More than 30 agreements among the 51 agreements and MoUs worth $46 billion are
designed to uplift the socio-economic standards of Pakistanis. Some segments of
the multi-billion dollar infrastructure project are supposed to be completed in
2017.
Pakistan’s strategic location appeals the world particularly after Pakistan’s
military gave immense sacrifices to improve law and order in the country.
ButChina has taken the lead to cash in on its exemplary friendship with Pakistan
by announcing a $46 billion package before embarking on multi energy ventures.
Extension of feeders in Tarbela, construction of Neelum-Jhelum power projects
among other capacity building initiatives have convinced each Pakistanis to
acknowledge the friendly gestures of Beijing and its people.
Though some political parties particularly ethnic nationalist forces raised
their voices against the distribution of the CPEC segments among provinces, the
federal government and Chinese embassy in Pakistan was quick to listen to listen
to the voices and eventually united all stakeholders on a single platform.
CPEC being a mega project will connect Gwadar and Xinjiang via a network of
highways, railways and pipelines to transport goods, oil and gas. This ambitious
plan will no doubt make the world powers to wonder over this project.
However, the better understanding between Islamabad and Beijing and aware of the
threats and plans to the project by some foreign hands will discourage those who
plan to sabotage the ventures. And now in reality, the ill plans of some powers
have been exposed.
The Republic of China is not just offering to build much-needed infrastructure
but also makes Pakistan a key partner in its grand economic and strategic
ambitions. The project will also open trade routes for Western China and provide
China direct access to the resource-rich Middle East region via the Arabian Sea,
bypassing longer logistical routes currently through the Strait of Malacca.
China’s stake in Pakistan’s deep sea naval and civilian port of Gwadar will also
allow it to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean, a vital route for oil
transportation, taking into account that 60 percent of China’s imported oil
comes from the Middle East and 80 percent of that is transported to China
through the long, expensive and dangerous piracy-rife maritime Malacca Strait
route through the South China, East China and Yellow Seas.
Despite that CPEC is Chinese-sponsored, Pakistan sees its benefits in the share
mainly because it feels no threats from Beijing. Trust is crucial thing when it
comes to trade between two countries. And Pakistan trusts China more than any
country on the planet.
Not only state to state relations are cordial between Islamabad and Beijing but
people to people contact is also exemplary. Students in Pakistan are rushing to
get admissions in Chinese universities in order to improve their skills in
different walks of life.
And this is good thing that doctors, who have completed their courses in China,
are now serving masses in Pakistan’s different localities with improved
services. Engineers, software experts, journalists and students of each
discipline in Pakistan are qualified from Chinese institutions and this clear
that people to people contact is also cordial between the two good neighbors.