Rising militancy in Pakistan puts China's billion-dollar investment under huge strain
Washington, July 27
The recent surge in militant attacks in Pakistan has heightened concerns for China, which has invested billions of dollars in the South Asian nation since 2015.
In recent years, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has increasingly targeted Chinese interests, alleging that Beijing is exploiting Balochistan's natural resources, a report has stated.
"For China, Pakistan's Balochistan represents a massive investment that's a crucial part of its touted Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Its flagship project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has garnered some USD 65 billion in funding from Beijing for everything from infrastructure development to energy generation and mineral extraction," according to a report in US-based media outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
"But the resource-rich region, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is also home to a long-simmering insurgency by ethnic Baluch militants marked by decades of attacks on gas pipelines, electricity towers, and railways. And in recent years, militant violence in Balochistan has seen a sharp increase, with Chinese projects a frequent target -- putting a strain on relations between the traditionally strong allies and the future of investments in the country," it added.
The report noted that the BLA launched over 100 attacks in the first six months of this year in Balochistan, with foreign investment projects, Pakistani police, military and paramilitary personnel among the primary targets.
Analysts reckon that the unrest is largely rooted in longstanding local grievances.
Calling for an independent Balochistan, Baloch militant groups accused Pakistan of exploiting the resource-rich province. Despite its vast territory and strategic position, with access to the Strait of Hormuz through Gwadar Port and land borders with Iran and Afghanistan, Balochistan remains Pakistan's most underdeveloped and economically deprived province, the report mentioned.
Analysts said that the persistent security threats, political instability, bureaucratic delays, and economic obstacles have delayed the implementation of several projects under CPEC.
"CPEC has lost much of its initial momentum," RFE/RL quoted Khalid Sultan, an Islamabad-based analyst, as saying. He noted that the prevailing security situation makes it difficult to attract new foreign investments in Pakistan.
"If the current security environment persists, China is likely to adopt a more cautious approach by slowing the pace of new investments, reassessing existing projects, and demanding stronger security guarantees before committing additional resources," Sultan added.
The report highlighted that the issue of security and terrorism continues to feature prominently in discussions between the top Chinese and Pakistani officials amid growing militancy in Pakistan.
Political scientist Ayesha Siddiqa, an author and senior fellow at King's College London, said that the security threat is unlikely to diminish in the near future, and could in fact escalate.
"Given the current global geopolitical conditions, this threat is bound to increase," she told RFE/RL, citing the rise in militant violence in Pakistan and the country's indirect involvement in the Middle East.
"There are multiple forces which are responsible for a continuous turmoil in the region and conditions are not going to be favourable," she added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an outsider looking in, it's fascinating how geopolitics plays out. China invested heavily in Pakistan as part of its "all-weather friendship," but now the militants are making it difficult. The BLA's attacks are clearly aimed at disrupting Chinese influence. This could force Beijing to reconsider its approach in South Asia.
The irony is rich 😂 Pakistan marketed CPEC as a game-changer for their economy, but now they can't even secure Chinese workers. Balochistan has legitimate grievances about exploitation, and no amount of Chinese money will fix that until Pakistan addresses local concerns. India's own investments in Chabahar look smarter by the day.
While I don't wish instability on any country, this does serve as a reality check for China's Belt and Road ambitions. Security risks in host nations are being underestimated. For India, this reinforces why we need to diversify our trade routes and not depend on any single corridor. Pakistan's inability to maintain law and order is their own doing.
It's heartbreaking to see ordinary Pakistanis suffer because of militancy and political instability. But from a strategic perspective, China's over-reliance on a single, unstable partner is now costing them. The BLA's grievances about resource extraction without local benefits are valid - the same problem exists in many resource-rich regions worldwide.
The analysts quoted in this article make a crucial point - the security threat is likely to escalate given global conditions. Pakistan's "geopolitical importance" is becoming a burden rather than an asset. For China, this might be a lesson in due diligence. For India, it's
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.