CHINA CALLS FOR 'RESOLUTE' ACTION FROM PAKISTAN AGAINST TERROR ATTACKS ON CHINESE NATIONAL

Sino-Pakistani relations were established in 1950, both the countries have placed considerable importance on the maintenance of the special relationship and both have various agreements. The PRC has provided economic, military, and technical assistance to Pakistan, and consider each other a close strategic ally. China has become Pakistan’s largest supplier of arms and its largest trading partner. Maintaining close relations with China is a important part of Pakistan’s foreign Policy.

But due to the recent attacks targeting the Chinese citizen, China has asked Pakistan to beef up security for Chinese nationals and institutions in the country. The Chinese confidence in Pakistan’s security system’s ability to protect its citizens and projects is seriously shaken after the Karachi University attack last month. Three Chinese teachers were killed when an explosion triggered by a burqa-clad suicide bomber from the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) ripped through a van of the Confucius Institute at the prestigious University of Karachi on April 26. This was the recent triggered attack against Chinese citizens in Pakistan. Last year in august, BLA has claimed it had carried out a suicide bombing that targeted Chinese people in Gwadar, killing two children and injuring a Chinese national, prompting a request from China’s embassy for Pakistan to speed up the security up-gradation policies to prevent further attacks.

Persistent attacks have troubled Pakistani projects carried out under China’s Belt and Road initiative, including Gwadar port in the poor but resource-rich Balochistan province. The BLA separatist insurgent group from the province, claims the projects exploit the province’s minerals and extend China’s influence in the region. In a meeting Wang asked Pak authorities for inquiry into the attack and to find the hidden purpose and culprits to be punished as setting an example. China has invested heavily in Pakistan through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC), which is a series of road, rail and energy projects worth 60 billion US dollars that form the main plank of its belt and road plans in the country.

Such attacks targeting Chinese national is an question mark over the security of the Chinese people and they feel that Pakistan is unable to bring the attacks under control and neither can provide the adequate security. These things had filled Chinese population in aggression and they are raising their voice against such activities. It can be said China may have gone ahead very soundly but no government can stifle the voice of the people if they hit the streets and stand against the government in near future, It may happen China will face the brunt of its extortion of resources and loosing its citizens in Pakistan.

China sees geopolitical advantages in supporting Pakistan as a counterweight against the rise of regional powers like India, Australia, Japan and Taiwan in Asian polity. The outstanding loans for tools and the concern of building various infrastructure in Pakistan has already drowned Pakistan in debt of finances from China. This is being used by China as an upper hand advantage for building their military installation in various places in Pakistan. In Similar way they are using Pakistan funded terrorist forces to change the point of attention for the Indian Army during LAC issue.

China sees economic advantage in using a friendly Pakistan to access cheap energy sources in central Asia. China’s investment calculus in Pakistan is increasingly driven by return on investment than by political benefits . China has proved themselves to be all weather friend for Pakistan and Pakistan is like a 25th province of the China. Pakistan plays a pivotal role in the “String of Pearls” strategy. So the relations between these two nations will always remain healthy as they both have benefit of having each other in close ties, and India must carefully weight the pros and cons towards furtherance of own objectives and goals.