Advertisement
-(2).jpg?itok=Mv8TYufL&v=1710224449)
Opinion | How to stem terrorist attacks on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
- China and Pakistan need better security and engagement with the Afghan Taliban to cut off terrorist attacks on the key Belt and Road Initiative project
- China must also do more to address local socioeconomic grievances and entice Pakistanis away from separatist groups
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
2
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a crucial pillar of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a massive project in connectivity that includes Pakistan’s Gwadar port. But Baloch separatist groups have long targeted the project, and an escalation in attacks last month was clearly aimed at Chinese nationals and interests.
Advertisement
This cloud of insecurity casts a shadow over the future of this important economic corridor. Addressing these concerns through a multifaceted formula involving military, diplomatic and economic dimensions is crucial for the project’s viability.
The ongoing attacks on the CPEC project are primarily carried out by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which serves as an umbrella organisation for the Baloch separatists. These separatist factions argue that Pakistan’s deepening ties with China have failed to yield benefits for Balochistan province; instead, they characterise the engagement as a form of exploitation. As a result, they target CPEC facilities, Chinese personnel and the security personnel safeguarding them, employing a variety of terrorist tactics.
Beyond the BLA’s activities, other terrorist outfits such as Islamic State Khorasan (Isis-K), Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) have also launched attacks, particularly in border provinces like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Despite denials of any direct ties between the Taliban regime in Kabul and these terrorist outfits, Pakistan has highlighted a surge in terrorism within its borders since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, and demanded that Afghan territories be denied to terrorist operatives.
Advertisement
Both Pakistan and China must find a solution to alleviate the security concerns surrounding the fate of their economic corridor project. The CPEC is not merely a linear investment pathway; it embodies broader regional and global linkages from Xinjiang to the Arabian Sea. Finding the path to resolving the escalating security issues requires a joint effort from Pakistan and China.
Advertisement