OBOR News & Developments

[sorcerer]

In an interesting convergence of interests for India and pakistan.. pak has to move out of pOK and give what rightfully belongs to India to prevent chinese colonization of pakistan.


CPEC is The chinese pakistan Company (in the lines of former East India Company of Brits) , in pakistan

------------------

To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
------------------
Catch 22 for the chinese???

 

[tsunami]

Just a question to senior members. As per UN resolution Pakistan should vacate POK and hand it over to India if referendum has to happen. Does that means next time when Pakistan talk about UN resolution we should ask them to vacate POK and China will say stfu to porkis??

 

[Chinmoy]

Just a question to senior members. As per UN resolution Pakistan should vacate POK and hand it over to India if referendum has to happen. Does that means next time when Pakistan talk about UN resolution we should ask them to vacate POK and China will say stfu to porkis??

Not going to happen.............. UN resolution on Kashmir says that Pakistan should remove its armed forces and tribesman who are send over there to fight and in return India should just keep the bare minimum armed resource to keep the civil administration running.
But it was passed under UNSC Chapter VI and it means that UNSC cant force it. Its upto the two nation to enforce it or not.
Pakistan denied to this and in return India too denied of taking away the armed force.
But interestingly Musharraf was ready to keep UN out of this and solve the issue bilaterally. But you know how things work across border. For Pakistan Kashmir is just like what Dalit and Pichre Warg is for us.

So instead of asking Pak to leave POK, India could rake this up at any given momment, that it was there politburo who have signed the Shimla agreement after the so called win of 1965 and most recently their Nishan-e-Haider ex President Musharraf agreed to.

 

[Kshatriya87]

Pakistani Source

Chabahar Vs Gwadar

During a visit to the capital office of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), the Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardoust said his country is desirous of participating in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).



While he talked of trade between the two countries, the statement of wanting to be part of the CPEC is the most interesting. India is looking to Iran to help in its transition to an economy fuelled by natural gas, and it is also betting on Iran to be its gateway into markets in Central Asia through the development of the Iranian port of Chabahar. While Chabahar may well develop into a trade hub, India is not China and cannot make claims about economic windfalls with as much certainty.

In an earlier statement in this May, Honardoust said the Chabahar port agreement between Iran, India and Afghanistan was “not finished” and “not limited to these three countries”. As of Thursday, Japan stated interest in the port and is considering partnering with India in developing the Chabahar port. This could mean that India either does not have full control over the project, or needs the wallets of other states to make the project successful. In the case of China, Gwadar does not require outside help. Opening the CPEC to Iran will benefit Iran more that it may help China in its grand plan. It makes sense for Iran to downplay any threat that Chabahar is deemed to be, so that it can attract funds without making China and Pakistan worry.

However, while Iran and China may not see Chabahar and Gwadar as rivals, India and Pakistan will. Foreign funded projects from China and Iran, at these mammoth levels of money, will remain mutually exclusive. It is unlikely that India will appreciate Iran becoming part of the Pakistan-China nexus, while it is pouring money into Chabahar.

The envoy also revealed in May that the offer to cooperate had first been extended to Pakistan and then China, implying neither had expressed interest. This is understandable since Gawdar is better placed for Chinese designs. Yet, let us not forget that we still need Iran for natural gas, and the IP pipeline is stuck in limbo. While we gather our wits to deal with the issue of the pending pipeline and the fines that we owe Iran, a soft economic policy must be shown to Iran, and that probably means room for Iran in the CPEC since it is the only thing we seem to have going for ourselves. However, interest being shown is not the same as an offer being made, and the final say will have to be of the Chinese.

 

[Bornubus]

China

Pakistani


Economic

C.....DAI

 

[Neo]

Kuwait wins approval for setting up oil refinery in Balochistan

By Zafar Bhutta
Published: September 10, 2016

ISLAMABAD: Economic managers of Pakistan have given the go-ahead to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation for setting up an oil refinery in the coastal area of Balochistan – a welcome investment initiative for the largely under-developed province, which will reduce the need for import of refined petroleum products in the country.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), the highest economic decision-making body, took the decision in a meeting held on September 7 in response to Kuwait Petroleum’s interest in pouring capital into setting up a refinery in Balochistan, said an official aware of developments.

Chinese company keen to set up oil refinery

The ECC also decided to seek an extension in the timeframe for oil import credit facility from three to four months in an effort to ease pressure on the country’s foreign currency reserves. It directed Pakistan State Oil (PSO), the state oil marketing giant, to try and persuade Kuwait Petroleum to extend the existing credit facility from 90 to 120 days or even more.

In another decision, the ECC permitted import of furnace oil and jet fuel from Kuwait without resorting to competitive bidding. At present, PSO imports diesel from the Gulf Arab state on 90-day deferred payment.

A representative of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, who was present in the ECC huddle, said before the year 2000, Pakistan purchased diesel from Kuwait under a long-term contract with the Gulf state’s government.

However, in the wake of market deregulation, Pakistan government in 2001-02 asked PSO to enter into a fuel supply contract with Kuwait Petroleum. Immediately after that, the two sides inked an agreement for the sale and purchase of high-speed diesel only with payment guarantees from the government of Pakistan. Now, this agreement has been in place for the last around 15 years.

Earlier, Kuwait Petroleum had expressed interest in exporting furnace oil and jet fuel as part of the existing arrangement and was looking to install an oil refinery in the coastal area of Balochistan with storage facilities.

‘Pakistan has received Rs1.6tr as investment in oil and gas sector’

“Pakistan and Kuwait have an old bilateral relationship in terms of oil trade and Kuwait Petroleum is a time-tested supplier, well-reputed for the most economical supplies, product quality and supply security,” an official told the ECC meeting.

The Ministry of Petroleum and PSO suggested that furnace oil and jet fuel could be included in the existing sale and purchase contract by making an addition to it.

This could be done by invoking rule-5 of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Rules 2004, which provides for waiving mandatory public procurement procedures in case of an international or inter-governmental commitment of the federal government.

The ministry took up the matter with the PPRA and Law and Justice Division for legal advice.

Later, the PPRA endorsed the proposal. The Law Division, on its part, pointed out that the contract was linked with the agreement between Pakistan government and Kuwait Petroleum and new products could be added. Therefore, it would be treated and read as an integral part of the existing contract.

After examining the proposal from legal point of view, the Law Division cleared it subject to meeting all formalities.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2016.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1179648/kuwait-wins-approval-setting-oil-refinery-balochistan/

 

[sayareakd]

oil refinery is bad idea in that area, one RPG and it will be big Diwali in that area. It will be better the Chinese crackers.

 

[Kshatriya87]

oil refinery is bad idea in that area, one RPG and it will be big Diwali in that area. It will be better the Chinese crackers.

Even RPG is not needed. A few bullets can do the trick very well.

 

[sayareakd]

Even RPG is not needed. A few bullets can do the trick very well.

Tracer bullets....................................

 

[aditya10r]

Even RPG is not needed. A few bullets can do the trick very well.

but rpg will be a lot of fun.......................................................................................................

 

[rock127]

Beijing concerned over increasing cost of security of CPEC: Chinese state media

China is concerned over “increasing cost of security” and “potential setbacks” in the development of the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a state-run daily said on Tuesday, acknowledging that the ambitious project would not be a “plain sailing” for the two countries.

An article in the Global Times said the project - that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir - faced risks due to a “complex regional environment”. It also referred to the reported deployment of 14,503 security guards by Pakistan to protect the 7,036 Chinese nationals working on the corridor.

“China may not want to put too much focus on the region. At the very least, it would be unwise to put all its eggs in one basket,” it said highlighting China’s disquiet over the project which has also cast a shadow over India-China ties.Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns over the project in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 meet in Hangzhou on September 4.

The article, however, made no reference to India regarding the project, which connects China’s Xinjiang province to Pakistan’s southwestern Gwadar Port in Balochistan with a maze of rail, road and pipelines.

“The CPEC has long been seen as symbolic to Sino-Pakistan economic cooperation. It is unlikely that China will change its supportive attitude on the CPEC in the short term, but the increasing cost of security is becoming a big problem in efficiently pushing forward the projects,” the article said.

The daily, which in the past has strongly supported the project, said in the article that it is “unlikely to be plain sailing for China and Pakistan in their attempts to push forward the CPEC due to challenges such as a complex regional environment, and people in the two countries should be prepared for potential setbacks”.

The daily is part of the ruling Communist Party of China’s official organ - the People’s Daily publication group. It also raised questions over Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s comments last month that Pakistan attached priority to the project.Referring to Sharif’s comments, it said “given the difficulty of protecting the personnel that are working in Pakistan, projects under the CPEC may need to be implemented and assessed step-by-step”.

“Beijing should consider giving more attention to its economic cooperation” with Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, whose Prime Minster is currently visiting China, to improve ties despite differences over the South China Sea.

China is reportedly concerned after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Vietnam’s capital Hanoi this month.

“The CPEC has long been seen as a flagship project in China’s Belt and Road initiative, but the initiative’s strategic focus may need to shift gradually toward Southeast Asia, where there is a wide infrastructure funding gap but a relatively stable regional environment that will enable China to efficiently push forward ventures under the Belt and Road initiative,” it said.

“Hopefully, the two countries (China and Vietnam) will be able to put aside disputes that have arose over the South China Sea and focus on promoting economic development,” it said.

 

[Bharat Ek Khoj]

Chinese daily warns of setbacks to China-Pakistan economic corridor
BEIJING: China may slow down implementation of the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor+(CPEC) because of security concerns.

A Chinese newspaper has that the two countries should be prepared for "potential setbacks" in what is China's most ambitious overseas project.

"It is unlikely to be plain sailing for China and Pakistan in their attempts to push forward the CPEC+due to challenges such as a complex regional environment, and people in the two countries should be prepared for potential setbacks," the paper said in an editorial.

It pointed out that corridor linking China's northwest Xinjiang province to Pakistan's Gwadar Port "passes through some turbulent regions, Kashmir included".

It quoted a Times of India report saying that Pakistan has deployed 14,503 security guards to protect 7,036 Chinese nationals working on the project.

State-backed Chinese media often provide initial hints about the government's plans. They are also used to send out signals. This editorial is clearly meant to put Islamabad under pressure and force it to take security issues more seriously, observers said.

Sources said there are signs China wants to shift its attention to funding infrastructure in Vietnam and other South East Asian countries in order to soften their stance on the South China Sea dispute. Besides, Beijing wants to extend its One Belt, One Road program to other countries instead of depending on Pakistan.
Besides security challenges, there is serious concern about the economic value of the investments because the Pakistani economy is unlikely to provide a proper rate of return on investments.Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif+was reported saying last month that the CPEC was the top priority for his government, the paper said.

"However, given the difficulty of protecting the personnel that are working in Pakistan, projects under the CPEC may need to be implemented and assessed step by step," it said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...an-economic-corridor/articleshow/54319019.cms

An interesting comment on article :
If they require 2 soldiers to protect one chinese, how many they would require to secure the complete route?? does it make economic sense??

 

[swastic_1170]

Chinese daily warns of setbacks to China-Pakistan economic corridor
BEIJING: China may slow down implementation of the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor+(CPEC) because of security concerns.

A Chinese newspaper has that the two countries should be prepared for "potential setbacks" in what is China's most ambitious overseas project.

"It is unlikely to be plain sailing for China and Pakistan in their attempts to push forward the CPEC+due to challenges such as a complex regional environment, and people in the two countries should be prepared for potential setbacks," the paper said in an editorial.

It pointed out that corridor linking China's northwest Xinjiang province to Pakistan's Gwadar Port "passes through some turbulent regions, Kashmir included".

It quoted a Times of India report saying that Pakistan has deployed 14,503 security guards to protect 7,036 Chinese nationals working on the project.

State-backed Chinese media often provide initial hints about the government's plans. They are also used to send out signals. This editorial is clearly meant to put Islamabad under pressure and force it to take security issues more seriously, observers said.

Sources said there are signs China wants to shift its attention to funding infrastructure in Vietnam and other South East Asian countries in order to soften their stance on the South China Sea dispute. Besides, Beijing wants to extend its One Belt, One Road program to other countries instead of depending on Pakistan.
Besides security challenges, there is serious concern about the economic value of the investments because the Pakistani economy is unlikely to provide a proper rate of return on investments.Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif+was reported saying last month that the CPEC was the top priority for his government, the paper said.

"However, given the difficulty of protecting the personnel that are working in Pakistan, projects under the CPEC may need to be implemented and assessed step by step," it said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...an-economic-corridor/articleshow/54319019.cms

An interesting comment on article :
If they require 2 soldiers to protect one chinese, how many they would require to secure the complete route?? does it make economic sense??

First of the few reality check starts.. What can be the possible reasons?? Any guess?

 

[tharun]

Gilbit is connected to pakistan via two routes N-35 and N-15 Which is karakoram highway,which has three big bridges with in range of 80-130km from our post in J&k....
karakoram is the life line of Gilbit and logistical supply route for PA...

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Target China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Read more at: http://www.sify.com/news/target-china-pakistan-economic-corridor-news-columns-qjxpsjchbbfai.html


Pakistan again began its incendiary game in the Valley by propping up Burhan Wani as the spark. India responded by enlarging the geopolitical arena of conflict to PoK and Balochistan.

If the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) passes through PoK, do we treat it as fate-accompli? Any government which tacitly acquiesces as such is guilty of betrayal of the resolution of parliament, which in effect is a ‘national resolution.’ Such a government will also be guilty of facilitating the transition of the ‘two front’ situation in context of Pakistan and China to a new inimical reality of ‘territorial embrace.’

The CPEC yokes PoK and Balochistan to China. It was imperative therefore for the Indian Prime Minister to address our territorial rights with regard to PoK as well as Balochistan, given the illegal strategic link scripted by China and Pakistan. Moreover when such an illegal project plays havoc with human lives and environment in our territory , our inaction and silence would be criminal.

We ought to be clear that the CPEC is essentially a strategic project with military objectives intrinsic to it. Several trips by Raheel Sharif to China with the exclusive agenda of the CPEC underscore the fact. The exaggerated economic advantages accruing from the project to the two countries is secondary. Nevertheless, it has fired frenzied hope amongst the impoverished people of Pakistan. Both the people and the military see it as a panacea for accumulated economic woes and insecurities vis-à-vis India.

The public hysteria over CPEC in Pakistan is palpable on every conceivable public platform. Any mishap with the project, it seems, would drive Pakistan into incurable depression. China’s rescue of Pakistan at the UN when Maulana Masood Azhar was about to be designated an international terrorist indicates that it is willing to accommodate Pak jihadi organisations to assist Pakistan in keeping the Kashmir pot boiling, thus insulating CPEC from India physically and diplomatically. Such is the strategic criticality of the thrust to the Persian Gulf via PoK terminating at Gwadar on Balochistan, that China is willing to use every possible means to imbalance.

Accordingly, China has become a clandestine partner of Pak, in promoting jihadi proxy war in all its manifestations against India in J & K. Hence Pakistan’s latest violent machinations in Valley and military sponsored attack by Maulana Masood Azhar’s Jaish-e-Mohammad( JeM) in Uri could not have been without China’s wink


So for India the current strategic collateral of the CPEC is that China and Pakistan have evolved as partners in jihadi proxy war in J&K. Various jihadi organisations in Pakistan are nothing but extensions of Pakistani military-intelligence establishment . They all have been gifted different catchment areas for recruitment and training of jihadis including suicide bombers. Jihadi organisations have never been averse in being leveraged by the Americans and the Chinese at the behest of the military-intelligence establishment.

Masood Azhar and Hafeez Saeed abandon all Islamic pretensions when it comes to choosing between Islam and China. Their religious fire and vitriolic is conspicuously amiss when China in Xinjiang bans government officials from observing Ramzan or forbids women from wearing burqas. Their theological agenda is restricted to making suicide machines out of Muslim youth in the Indian subcontinent. So is the theological wont of the Kashmiri separatists in India. They, too, conserve radical Islam for use against India and not China.

Pakistan-China strategic partnership against India overrides Islam. We in India should not therefore get carried away by occasional condemnation of Jihadi groups in Pakistan by a think tank or newspaper in China. The country is known for playing such subtle balancing games.

It is the mother of all ironies that jihad ,which as instrument of war was developed to produce human bombs to destroy communism and win the Cold War in the battlefields of Afghanistan, should rejoin forces with China to bear on India, for illegal sanctity of the CPEC

. Hence the ineluctable inference is that CPEC is the most sensitive component of China-Pak strategic partnership, and for Pakistan the project is critical for physical and economic survival of the country. Pakistan has so far survived by renting its territory, till recently to the Americans, and now it wishes to get fresh lease of life by selling it to the Chinese.

Any military option that India generates to mend Pakistan must consider the cost-benefit ratio. The elimination of Osama Bin Laden by US marines in Attobabad or droning of Mullah Mansoor in Balochistan could not mend Pakistan. Americans or NATO forces continue to be targeted in Afghanistan. Generating options against Pakistan is therefore a tricky proposition. What options can really be generated against a country that relies upon suicide bombers for survival, a country which has outsourced external security to jihadi organisations.

× A respected Pakistani journalist Khalid Ahmed, earlier in Pakistan foreign service observes: ‘’ Pakistan is falling , because it is a warrior state and is not supposed to last. It is wedded to the ideal of war in which ideological rulers accept the possibility of annihilation (shahadat) as a consequence of righteous war.’

CPEC being Pakistan’s most profound hope, rather the only hope, its future existence has come to hinge on it. It is then only logical that amongst India’s options against Pakistan, the CPEC should be accorded top priority.

As and when CPEC becomes a reality Pakistan would become an extension of China’s territory with pernicious strategic portends for China. This could not have happened without self-imposition of mental territorial freeze in respect of PoK in Indian governments down the line with the exception of present one. We Indians came to accept the present territorial arrangement of J&K as fate accompli. We had mentally ceded Gilgit-Baltistan and that is why Kargil happened. That was the reason that our opposition to CPEC till now and at best has been apologetic. Pakistan on the other hand never stopped coveting Jammu and Kashmir under our control.

The most pressing, workable and enduring option for India is to give orders to our Army that the PoK is our territory and the Line of Control (LoC) is incidental. As it is, Pakistan has changed the rules of engagement in the LoC with this attack in the rear at Uri. Subordinate commanders may be delegated authority to constantly strive to amalgamate areas across the LoC, the depth of which should be predicated on opportunity and resources. In this special focus needs to be on Gilgit-Baltistan through which the CPEC traverses, and is our territory. Pakistan Army which has become weak and unprofessional because of its reliance on jihadis would not be up to this Indian challenge. Moreover majority of population in the PoK would welcome such moves by India. I say this with experience.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://dailytimes.com.pk/pakistan/04-Sep-16/us-india-agreement-aimed-to-sabotage-cpec-rehman-malik

US-India agreement aimed to sabotage CPEC: Rehman Malik

ISLAMABAD: Former interior minister Rehman Malik has said that the pact between US and India was aimed at sabotaging China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

While addressing a press conference on Saturday, he underscored that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should review the foreign policy, as all our neighbouring countries except China have turned against Pakistan on the CPEC project.

He observed that India was assisting separatists to foment chaos in Balochistan while Brahamdagh Bugti was enjoying full support from the Indian agencies with regards to disruption of peace in Balochistan.

He urged the prime minister to take serous notice of the conspiracies being hatched against Pakistan and launch stern action against those behind these conspiracies.

"It has become clear, following the arrest of Indian spy from Balochistan on March 3, that India is involved in terror related activities in the province," he remarked.

Taking exception to US policies with reference to Pakistan, he said that joint declaration signed by India and US during September last year and June this year was aimed at isolating and pressuring Pakistan.

He said that the agreement reached between US and India namely 'Logistic Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA)' was directed against the sovereignty of Pakistan and was aimed at sabotaging the CPEC project.

"India can access US technology against Pakistan. This agreement is not acceptable to us at any cost," he asserted. "We sought drone technology from US to break the back of terrorists during the war on terror but US never provided the technology to us. On the other hand, the US have given all this to India now, while we have acquired this technology on our own." He stated that the parliament, media, army and political leadership would have to think over the Indo-US agreement and should hold a joint session of both the houses of parliament immediately on this count. "We will not keep a mum over this situation like the fall of Dhaka, but we will have to remain proactive," he stressed.

He went on to say enemies of the country were targeting every organised institution, adding that forceful action was being taken against the terrorists and its scope should be extended across the country.

He underlined that if Pakistan were not made part of US-India pact, then peace would remain elusive in the region. The recent agreement reflects that US prefers India over Pakistan, despite the fact that Pakistan has rendered numerous sacrifices, more than any other country, in war against terrorism, he remarked.

About Afghanistan's role in Balochistan, he said, "It seems to me as if East Pakistan like situation is being created in Balochistan and India is playing role of Mukti Bahni with the cooperation of Afghanistan. West is also supporting it." Replying to the recent statements from MQM chief Altaf Hussain, he said these statements were given at the behest of India. Stern action should be taken against those giving statement against Pakistan, he demanded.

Expressing satisfaction over the steps taken by interior minister Chaudhry Nisar, Malik said he was working in right direction.

 

[AbhinavTheBrahmin]

haha pakistan ko topi phena di only chinese engineers would be there the chinese would gain there investment and would exploit pakistans natural resources

 

[raheel besharam]

chinese engineers will enjoy mujra of pakistani girls

 

[AbhinavTheBrahmin]

chinese engineers will enjoy mujra of pakistani girls

:biggrin2::bounce::biggrin2:

 

[amoy]

Pakistan to Help China Boost Its Influence in Middle East via Economic Corridor © AFP 2016/ STR

China and Pakistan agreed to accelerate the building of the economic corridor from Xinjiang to Gwadar, Chinese state media reported. Accelerated construction fits in a China's strategy on strengthening its influence in the Indian Ocean and the Middle East, Russian experts told Sputnik.

© AFP 2016/ FAROOQ NAEEM Pakistani Minister Offers Free Land to Chinese Investors

Islamabad will help Beijing implement the project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in a shortened time, Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry assured China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their meeting on August 22. No other details of the talks in Beijing were reported. China's expert from the Diplomatic Academy Ren Yuanzhe believes that this time the corridor dialogue was held in conjunction with the Chinese initiative of building the Silk Road:

"The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is the main component of the One Belt, One Road initiative. Its construction plays an important role in the Sino-Pakistani relations and throughout South Asia, regarding peace, stability and the economic development of the region."

"In addition, there is a traditional profound friendship between China and Pakistan, which lifted their bilateral ties to all-weather strategic cooperation and partnership; that is why the parties are paying great attention to the construction of CPEC," Yuanzhe told Sputnik.

The expert expressed his hope that China will use the project to stimulate development of cooperation in the South Asian region: "I suppose that the construction of this corridor is not conducted for the repression of other countries or for the isolated increasing of China's influence. I hope that for China, this project will be a method to stimulate further expansion and development of cooperation in South Asia, and between China and Pakistan in particular."

© AP PHOTO/ SAYYID AZIM How China’s Base in Djibouti Reveals an ‘Expanding Sphere of Influence’

Meanwhile, observers point out that China's intention to accelerate the construction may be associated with the implementation of the county's geopolitical objectives in the region. In particular, it can be connected to China's plans to use Pakistan as a bridge to the Middle East. According to Deputy Director of the CIS Institute and military expert Vladimir Yevseyev, the Pakistani Gwadar Port could become a new regional service point for Chinese warships, after the creation of such a base in Djibouti:

"According to the available information, Chinese Navy warships enter the territory of the Gwadar Port without a formal declaration. It can be assumed that Gwadar is already partially used as a Chinese naval base. It is still difficult to say whether it will be officially documented or not."

Nevertheless, China's presence in the port actually refers to its presence not only in South Asia but in the Middle East as well, the expert said. "This indicates that China goes beyond its national borders not only as the world's leading economy, but also as a new center of power, which begins to create military bases in the necessary regions of the world," Yevseyev told Sputnik, noting that the base in Djibouti is being built in close proximity to the one that belongs to the US, allowing China to control its activity and conduct technical reconnaissance.

© AP PHOTO/ ANDY WONG Soft Power: China Stepping Up Its Global Economic Expansion CPEC is the first example of China protecting its interests with reliance on the military.

In spring, Pakistani and Indian sources reported that Chinese Army troops began to protect the economic infrastructure and the safety of thousands of Chinese workers and specialists involved in the project. The number of the Chinese contingent was not specified; it is only known that it works hand in hand with the Pakistani military. Islamabad has allocated up to 10 thousand soldiers for these purposes. It is not excluded that the role of the military aspect of the economic corridor could have been discussed at the recent talks in Beijing.

After Pakistan, Syria may become the next country where it will be possible to use the Chinese special forces to protect China's commercial interests. President Bashar al-Assad recently expressed his personal interest in China's participation in the post-war arrangement of Syria. And China in return showed its readiness to dispatch its own military experts to train the Syrian Army. It was a sign of the military's interest in participating in the fate of Syria after the war.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/asia/20160825/1044640750/pakistan-china-corridor.html