Actually, the whole matter is about Gwadar Port. An important meeting took place between China and Pakistan on this issue. In this meeting, Pakistan tried to trap China, but this attempt failed. In fact, in the meeting, Islamabad said that if China wants to build a military base in Gwadar, then it will have to give second strike nuclear capability to Pakistan, so that by doing so it can dream of equality with India. But China rejected this demand calling it absurd and put future talks on hold indefinitely. With its nefarious designs, Pakistan has angered its seasonal friend China and has also been insulted internationally.
Pakistan became weak
Recently a high level meeting was held between senior government and military officials of Pakistan and China. The future use of the strategic port of Gwadar in Balochistan in line with the so-called ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’ was being discussed and negotiated. At this point, as Pakistan, who had perhaps momentarily forgotten which side of the negotiating table it was sitting on, tried to show its strength, China responded quickly and defused the situation.
Why is China important for Pakistan?
China’s support becomes very important for Pakistan in many ways. The breakdown of diplomatic and military talks with China, even for a moment, is not a good sign for Pakistan as Islamabad, which is suffering from cash crunch, is largely dependent on Beijing’s economic bail-out package. China has also, for a long time, been a protector of Pakistan’s military, supplying it with most of its arms and ammunition – everything from bullets to fighter jets. Pakistan’s military, which has a history of interfering in decisions taken by its civilian government, is currently facing a crisis with widespread anger and protests across the country over election rigging and the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. In such a situation, it cannot afford to upset Beijing.
According to a report by Drop Site News, Pak-China relations are apparently in decline due to “public and private disputes over security concerns as well as China’s demand to build a military base inside Pakistan”. Earlier this year, the news website had reported advanced talks on setting up a Chinese military base in Gwadar. According to classified Pakistani military documents seen by the news website, Islamabad had given “personal assurances” to Beijing that it would be “allowed to convert Gwadar into a permanent base for the Chinese military”.
It is noteworthy that Pakistan is completely dependent on Pakistan for its economic and military survival and is not in a position to tolerate this shock. The country is already burning in the fire of political turmoil and protests. In such a situation, by angering China, it has created another problem for itself. This incident once again showed how weak Pakistan’s diplomacy and international understanding is. He made such demands from his closest ally which was neither possible nor logical for China to accept.
When will ‘International Gwadar Airport’ be inaugurated?
The operation of Pakistan’s new ‘International Gwadar Airport’ will start by the end of December. Acting Director General of ‘Pakistan Airport Authority’ (PAA) Air Vice Marshal Zeeshan Saeed said this. Xinhua news agency quoted PAA as saying that during the airport visit, Saeed was informed about the airport’s state-of-the-art facilities and future trade and investment potential from its operation.
- Built with the help of China, this airport has a 4F-grade state-of-the-art facility, which is capable of handling even the largest civil aircraft. Its 3,658 meter long, 75 meter wide runway, with special foundation treatment, sets a benchmark in engineering standards.
- This airport has a huge apron with five slots for wide-body aircraft. Apart from this, there are plans for a dedicated cargo shed and larger cargo operations with future expansion.
- This airport will enhance regional economic development and establish Gwadar as a transshipment hub connected to the ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’ (CPEC).
The CPEC project, launched in 2013, is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China. It connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan province of southwest Pakistan to Kashgar in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China.
