China's Increased Investment Upsets some Pakistanis

[Virendra]

China's Increased Investment Upsets Some Pakistanis : NPR

Excerpts:

With all its current troubles, Pakistan has not been attracting much foreign investment recently. In fact, China seems to be the only country that's prepared to pour money into Pakistan in a big way.

But a boost in Chinese investment has sparked resentment in southern Pakistan, where activists accuse China of trying to be a new colonial power. A bomb blast recently hit near the Chinese Consulate in Karachi — an ominous sign of the rising tensions.

When Bashir Qureshi, a politician in his late 40s, died unexpectedly last month, the medical examiner said it was a heart attack. But Qureshi's friends and family don't believe that. Instead they claim there's been a conspiracy, and that Qureshi was murdered. Poisoned, in fact — by China... :shocked:

"He said that he had a lot of threats. Probably China was involved in his murder," says Imtiaz Chandio, who was Qureshi's best friend. Both Chandio and his late friend believed that Chinese investment in Pakistan challenges local power brokers in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh.

The last speech Qureshi ever gave was against China; it's now the ringtone on Chandio's cellphone.

"The enemy won't break us. Long live Sindh!" the crackly voice says.

There is no evidence linking China to Qureshi's death. But the conspiracy theory being floated by his friends reflects their own suspicion of Chinese influence in their country...

...The late Qureshi complained that China's big construction projects rely on Chinese workers and Pakistani migrants...

...In Sindh, the Zulfiqarabad megacity has just broken ground — and prompted a local boycott of Chinese goods.

"China project unacceptable," protesters chanted at a recent rally in Karachi. "Let your voices be heard all the way to China," they screamed.

Tanvir Ahmad Khan, a former Pakistani foreign secretary, says activists' demands are unrealistic. For example, the idea that no outsiders — foreigners or people from other Pakistani provinces — should be able to do business there....
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Regards,
Virendra

 

[A chauhan]

The whole country runs to different directions on conspiracy theories, just say in any Pakistani forum that China was also behind Benazeer Bhutto's murder and eventually they will believe it.

 

[Virendra]

Isn't it going to be the favorite troll spot for our beloved ajtr?

 

[ranasikander]

Its not about china, you will see similar response from any businessman or investor if some body (XYZ) comes to share their profit.
Nothing new, by busniess logic (our business and profit are actually my loss)

 

[ajtr]

China's Increased Investment Upsets Some Pakistanis

China is planning to increase investments in Pakistan, and some Pakistanis feel China is trying to become a new colonial power. Amid these tensions, a bomb went off near the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, on July 23. The blast injured two people.


With all its current troubles, Pakistan has not been attracting much foreign investment recently. In fact, China seems to be the only country that's prepared to pour money into Pakistan in a big way.

But a boost in Chinese investment has sparked resentment in southern Pakistan, where activists accuse China of trying to be a new colonial power. A bomb blast recently hit near the Chinese Consulate in Karachi — an ominous sign of the rising tensions.

When Bashir Qureshi, a politician in his late 40s, died unexpectedly last month, the medical examiner said it was a heart attack. But Qureshi's friends and family don't believe that. Instead they claim there's been a conspiracy, and that Qureshi was murdered. Poisoned, in fact — by China.

"He said that he had a lot of threats. Probably China was involved in his murder," says Imtiaz Chandio, who was Qureshi's best friend. Both Chandio and his late friend believed that Chinese investment in Pakistan challenges local power brokers in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh.

The last speech Qureshi ever gave was against China; it's now the ringtone on Chandio's cellphone.

"The enemy won't break us. Long live Sindh!" the crackly voice says.

There is no evidence linking China to Qureshi's death. But the conspiracy theory being floated by his friends reflects their own suspicion of Chinese influence in their country.


Longtime Allies

China and Pakistan have been allies for decades, and China recently pledged to greatly increase its investment in Pakistan, from $7 billion to $30 billion a year.

Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. and Britain, says that money couldn't come at a better time. "Let's face it: Foreign direct investment into Pakistan has plunged to a historic low," she says. "In this environment, when you have China — the second-largest economy in the world — stepping up to the plate and saying, 'We're prepared to help you,' at a time when others are shy of coming into Pakistan, I think that more than offsets the fears that some may have."

The late Qureshi complained that China's big construction projects rely on Chinese workers and Pakistani migrants.

In recent years, China has faced similar criticisms when it has made large investments in other developing nations, including a number of African states.

Another Sindhi leader, Abdul Khalique Junejo, is spearheading opposition to the latest Chinese effort: a 1 million-acre industrial megacity called Zulfiqarabad, a pet project of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

"President Zardari may be saying that it will be a global project and there will be development, there will be employment, but for whom?" Junejo asks. "It will not be for Sindhis."

Junejo is furiously writing letters and organizing peaceful protests. But the peace has been shattered. Last month's bomb blast near the consulate in Karachi injured two people. And Junejo hints that the violence may become widespread.

"If they ignore all these things, and go ahead with this project, then the resistance may take many shapes," he says.

In the late 1990s, China built the billion-dollar Gwader port in Baluchistan, a troubled province in southwest Pakistan that borders Iran and Afghanistan. But the port has hardly brought riches to the region. Locals blamed China, for bringing its own workers — some of whom were attacked and killed.

China Controversies Grow

In Sindh, the Zulfiqarabad megacity has just broken ground — and prompted a local boycott of Chinese goods.

"China project unacceptable," protesters chanted at a recent rally in Karachi. "Let your voices be heard all the way to China," they screamed.

Tanvir Ahmad Khan, a former Pakistani foreign secretary, says activists' demands are unrealistic. For example, the idea that no outsiders — foreigners or people from other Pakistani provinces — should be able to do business there.

This would mean that there should never be a development project in Sindh," he says. "That Sindh should be consigned to a medieval economy forever and ever."

On Aug. 14, Pakistan's Independence Day, a much smaller controversy erupted over China, the maker of the miniature Pakistani flags people waved in the street.

Some Pakistanis were upset the Chinese got their flag color slightly wrong — and that the flags weren't made in Pakistan in the first place.

Outrage over "Made in China" is nothing new in America; take this year's Olympic uniforms, for example. But this may be the first such row — perhaps of many to come — as China expands its influence in Pakistan.

 

[Energon]

I've said this before and I'll say this again, China is a mercantile power which will inevitably expand into some form of neo colonialism, how it manifests remains to be seen. Colonial powers of yore had small populations and so they used technology to produce finished goods in their home country and used a small force of colonial officers to manage their offshore ventures. China however has a massive workforce in need of employment itself, so not only do they use it in domestic manufacturing but they also export labor to execute all the mega construction projects that are awarded to the client state. What I noticed in South America and particularly Africa is that this migrant labor force tends to remain in the client state after their contract expires and then use their accumulated capital, enterprising nature and excellent work ethic to become a market dominant minority.

The main difference between the colonial practices of China (thus far) vs that of Europe and post WWII America is that China has no interest in exerting internal political influence (as yet). And this will come as a relief to those who seek China's help. However this can change very easily in the future. But IMHO the biggest long term problem will be the severe impact of Chinese policy upon the economic conditions of the locals.

Theoretically all the Chinese infrastructure projects even if built with their own workforce may lead to job creation as a secondary effect, and their cheap manufactured goods will also help raise the standard of living. However this can also seriously backfire resulting in the total domination of consumer goods markets, capital goods market and financial capital. Also it is prudent to remember that unlike Africa or South America, China shares a contiguous border with Pakistan and has a far more accessible way of moving goods and labor.

This is not to say that Pakistan shouldn't forge a relationship with China. It should, but it has to be grounded in reality and hence free of all this rhetoric of 'higher than the mountains and deeper than the oceans' or what have you.

 

[Blackwater]

China's Increased Investment Upsets Some Pakistanis
by LAUREN FRAYER

But a boost in Chinese investment has sparked resentment in southern Pakistan, where activists accuse China of trying to be a new colonial power. A bomb blast recently hit near the Chinese Consulate in Karachi — an ominous sign of the rising tensions.

....

The late Qureshi complained that China's big construction projects rely on Chinese workers and Pakistani migrants.

In recent years, China has faced similar criticisms when it has made large investments in other developing nations, including a number of African states.

....

In the late 1990s, China built the billion-dollar Gwader port in Baluchistan, a troubled province in southwest Pakistan that borders Iran and Afghanistan. But the port has hardly brought riches to the region. Locals blamed China, for bringing its own workers — some of whom were attacked and killed.

China Controversies Grow

In Sindh, the Zulfiqarabad megacity has just broken ground — and prompted a local boycott of Chinese goods.

"China project unacceptable," protesters chanted at a recent rally in Karachi. "Let your voices be heard all the way to China," they screamed.

Tanvir Ahmad Khan, a former Pakistani foreign secretary, says activists' demands are unrealistic. For example, the idea that no outsiders — foreigners or people from other Pakistani provinces — should be able to do business there.

....

Outrage over "Made in China" is nothing new in America; take this year's Olympic uniforms, for example. But this may be the first such row — perhaps of many to come — as China expands its influence in Pakistan.


China's Increased Investment Upsets Some Pakistanis : NPR

 

[Blackwater]

so pakis need money with thakedari

 

[Ray]

Pakistanis are being ungrateful to China.

But it is a genuine fear they have that soon China will be owning them!

 

[amoy]

Isn't Singapore having a share in Gwader port in Baluchistan?

Sep 5, 2012
China set to run Gwadar port as Singapore quits
By Syed Fazl-e-Haider

KARACHI - China will take over the Pakistan's strategically located Gwadar Port in southwestern Balochistan after Singapore decided to pull out of a 40-year port management and development contract signed in 2007.

Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) and its partners - Aqeel Kareem Dedhi (AKD) Group of Karachi and the National Logistic Cell (NCL) - are ready to sell their share of Gwadar Port to China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd (CHEC), a state-owned company, and have been allowed to quit the Gwadar Port's development

contract after the government failed to transfer 584 acres (236. 3 hectares) of land under possession of the Pakistan Navy for the free zone at the port.

Asia Times Online :: China News, China Business News, Taiwan and Hong Kong News and Business.

 

[arya]

if china invest money then they will treat as boss

 

[Blackwater]

if china invest money then they will treat as boss

in this case Pakistan wants money and treated as boss too

 

[arya]

in this case Pakistan wants money and treated as boss too

beggars are not chooser

 

[Blackwater]

beggars are not chooser

Pakistan are the only beggars in the world who want to be chooser:thumb::thumb:

 

[Virendra]

History speaks for itself. Pakistan kept putting themselves on the plate for Americans since 1950s. The time when they were supposed to tighten their belts, make tough decisions and get to work.

Now that lately the western love is gone, they have put themselves on the plate for Chinese.
The desperation and sentiments are so loud and clear that it sort of breaks mundane protocols of behavioral moderation - specially in diplomacy.
I mean as a country you don't tell another country "I love you darling. Come do me". That is for people and private (read bedroom).

There is no choosing here and no self esteem. No identity and no path or vision for the country. Just a plan - who would be our next buyer?
It seems they never got fed up of being colonized, one way or the other
When you willingly drop your guard and send invites, you can't complain that the rape hurts.

Regards,
Virendra