Daily Times

Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif was in China on a three day visit to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing. The visit according to the PM will bring development opportunities to both the countries and will benefit the regional economic cooperation agenda the Chinese government is pursuing. During his bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, PM Nawaz reinforced Pakistan’s growing need for Chinese investment in infrastructure development and in the energy sector. The leaders described the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which will connect Pakistan’s south with China’s west as the catalyst of change and prosperity in the region. Going forward the Chinese president showed concern about Pakistan’s political and economic stability while pledging Chinese assistance to give Pakistan a stable future. Pakistan and China have signed 19 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding. Most of these agreements are based on developing and enhancing Pakistan’s power generation capacity. China will invest $42 billion in Pakistan immediately on various projects and according to the plan, a special green channel will be created to make sure of timely release of funds. It is also decided that work on most of the projects will begin simultaneously within a couple of weeks. According to the PM’s spokesperson, these agreements will end load shedding, bring the prices of electricity down, reduce poverty and solve the issue of unemployment in the country.

In return, Pakistan has been asked by its ‘all weather’ friend China to tackle the issue of militancy that has plagued China’s Muslim-dominated Uighur community in the province of Xinjiang. The PM has assured the Chinese government of full assistance in eliminating terrorism, especially in getting rid of members of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement who have found sanctuaries in the Pakistan lawless tribal areas and are creating trouble in China. The leaders of both the countries discussed Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan and its relations with India. The recent skirmishes on the Line of Control were also discussed with the aim of Pakistan redefining its relations with its neighbouring countries.

China’s rising power and its developmental approach, particularly in Asia and in the world generally, gives it a leverage to throw weight around the countries that matter in taking the Chinese success forward. And Pakistan happens to be one such country. Undeniably, it is Pakistan’s good fortune that it has good relations with China, who has stood with us in all times and circumstances. China has seldom criticised Pakistan harshly for promoting Islamic militancy to attain its foreign policy objectives in India and Afghanistan, Even now when China is being directly affected by the militancy gathering strength in Pakistan, it has simply requested the Pakistan government to look into the matter more carefully. This restraint might not survive in future if Pakistan sticks to its hostile policies, especially in Afghanistan.

China will be the next power that Afghanistan might need to develop itself economically. The cash-strapped country, ravaged by war, is now looking east to build on its ruins. With the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces, China’s influence in Afghanistan is going to rise, which means more Chinese investment and a greater desire to keep Afghanistan stable. For that, Pakistan’s assistance in terms of ending its support to the Taliban will be required earnestly. Beijing has already made sizable investments in Afghan copper and oil — including a $ 3 billion agreement to develop the Aynak copper mine. Most of the western countries have been shying away from investing in Afghanistan because of security challenges. That explains President Ghani’s choice of visiting China first after assuming power. China has also offered to mediate a dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban, independent of Pakistan’s support. China is also ready to extend military training to Afghan soldiers. All these developments show that it is not going to be business as usual for Pakistan in dealing with its neighbouring countries. Now that the scales of power are tilting towards Beijing and away from Washington, Pakistan should too grow out of its security paranoia versus India. *