During Shehbaz Sharif’s June 7 visit to China, the statement wrongly equated the resolution with China’s claim over Taiwan…reports Asian Lite News
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized China and Pakistan on Monday for issuing a statement that misinterprets United Nations resolution 2758, focus Taiwan reported.
The statement, issued during Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China on June 7, falsely equated the resolution with Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is part of China.
“Both sides stressed that the authority of the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 brooks no dispute or challenge,” the statement said.
Taiwan-China flag
“Pakistan reaffirmed its firm commitment to the one-China principle and reiterated that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China’s territory,” the statement added.
According to Focus Taiwan, MOFA issued a press release on Monday stating that resolution 2758 only addresses the issue of China’s representation in the United Nations and does not mention Taiwan at all.
It does not authorize the PRC to represent Taiwan in the UN system, nor does it mention that Taiwan is part of the PRC, MOFA said.
The ministry said that China (Taiwan’s official title) is a free and democratic country.
MOFA emphasized that neither democratic Taiwan nor authoritarian China are subordinate to each other, asserting that China’s political coercion will not change Taiwan’s belief in democracy.
MOFA asserted that China continues to deliberately distort and erroneously politicize the UN document to make untrue connections between the language of the resolution and Beijing’s so-called “one China principle.”
Taiwan is a key player in safeguarding democracy and freedom across the world. It will continue strengthening relationships with like-minded partners to counter China’s threats and military intimidation, curb the expansion of authoritarianism, and ensure cross-strait peace and stability, MOFA said in the statement.
The tensions between China and Taiwan are at an all-time high. Despite never having governed Taiwan, China’s governing Communist Party considers it part of its territory and has threatened to conquer it by force if necessary. (ANI)
Codenamed “Operation K”, China has been exploiting the gangster killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada to incite the international Sikh diaspora and create fake anti-Indian protests in Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere, a report by Dr Sakariya Kareem
In August 2018, the then Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui had donned a turban during a visit to the Dr Kotnis acupuncture clinic in Ludhiana. This was a symbolic act as the ceremony was held in Punjab. However, today the Chinese are using social media to incite anti-India Sikh protests in the West. Codenamed “Operation K”, China has been exploiting the gangster killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada to incite the international Sikh diaspora and create fake anti-Indian protests in Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere. Meta, the company operating Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in May 2024, as part of its “Meta’s Quarterly Adversarial Threat Report” released a notice on the fake social media accounts created by China for this purpose. The company has since dismantled the Chinese network of false accounts titled “Operation K.”
The Meta notice states that the network “originated in China and targeted the global Sikh community, including in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, the UK, and Nigeria.” Meta removed “37 Facebook accounts, 13 Pages, five Groups, and nine accounts on Instagram. About 2,700 accounts followed one or more of these Pages, about 1,300 accounts joined one or more of these Groups, and under 100 accounts followed one or more of these Instagram accounts.” Although the figures appear to be low, they are normally the tip of an iceberg. Meta found a parallel behaviour coming from the same Chinese source on Telegram and X.
Khalistani elements attempting to pull down the Indian flag but the flag was rescued by the Indian security personnel at the High Commission of India, in London. (ANI Photo)
“They appeared to have created a fictitious activist movement called Operation K which called for pro-Sikh protests, including in New Zealand and Australia,” Meta explained. That the Chinese are behind Operation K is clear; the origin of the messages, where “the operatives posed as Sikhs and proceeded to post content as well as manage Pages and Groups,” was traced back to a “network from China targeting India and the Tibet region” that had been shut down in early 2023 but is now resurfacing.
Meta noted that the content included “images likely manipulated by photo editing tools or generated by AI, in addition to posts about floods in the Punjab region, the Sikh community worldwide, the Khalistan independence movement, the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan independence activist in Canada, and criticism of the Indian government”. One instance network has been cited by India Today. It talks of Adya Singh, who portrayed herself as a Punjabi girl with a UK education and living in Delhi. She claimed to be deeply passionate about Sikh heritage, language, and culture, and was an outspoken critic of the Indian government. Her social media posts often called for the US to “support Khalistan to counter Indian hegemony”. However, the reality is that Adya Singh did not exist! This account was part of the network of fake profiles linked to China.
Source: Data Compiled by The Defence Horizon Journal through Innefu Report
For those unfamiliar with Chinese use of social media to target and malign India, one would do well to recall the 2017 Chinese video with racist overtones that sought to parody Indians (21 August 2017). This was issued by Xinhua news agency and claimed to give China’s position on the Doklam standoff. The video mocked and parodied Indians, a salvo against India against the backdrop of the military standoff at Doklam near the Sikkim border. The video in English was a little more than three minutes and was titled the “7 Sins of India: It’s time for India to confess its seven sins”. Notably, the video featured a man with a turban and a fake beard, an apparent attempt at parodying a Sikh, speaking the way Indians are perceived to speak English. The video targets the Sikh minority, and for some perplexing reason, the “Indian” is seen to be brandishing a pair of scissors.
In a larger sense, it is not surprising that China has chosen social media platforms to air an anti-India narrative. Social media is today the favoured destination for expression of anti-India sentiment. One report (The Defence Horizon Journal, January 23, 2023) argues that the pro-Khalistani sentiment on social media was amplified after the announcement of the Kartarpur corridor in 2018. One such example cited is the Twitter activity of Aston University’s ‘Khalistan Society’, which joined the platform in November 2018 and had 1,055 tweets and posts about Sikh history and Sikh prisoners. It referred to the Indian state of Punjab as ‘Indian-occupied Khalistan.’
Meta notice about “Operation K.” (via Bitter Winter)
A similar account idolizing Khalistani leaders, ‘Greater Khalistan’, joined the platform around November 2019 and made 3,464 tweets, as of November 2022. The operatives of such accounts attempted to propagate the idea of injustices faced by the Sikh community at the hands of the Indian state. On other social media platforms, like Instagram, there has been an increase in engagement with phrases such as Khalistan. There were nearly 92,500 posts with the hashtag #Khalistan Zindabad (Long Live Khalistan). The social media agenda of pro-Khalistan accounts are primarily built upon what happened during Operation Bluestar and the anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
China’s latest Operation K is reminiscent of Operation Topac launched by Pakistan against India and more specifically, in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s, which started the insurgency. The only difference is that Operation K has been conducted on the social media. One suspects that Pakistan’s ISI is somehow behind Operation K. However, Meta’s report clearly says it originated somewhere in China. That it has used an anti-India Sikh sentiment in countries in which the Sikhs are present in large numbers is an important indicator of their efforts to target India.
Sun criticised the US plan to deploy medium-range missile systems in the area, claiming it escalates an arms race and places the Asia Pacific under the shadow of geopolitical conflicts….reports Asian Lite News
The US presents the largest security challenge in the South China Sea due to its military deployment, turning the region into “the whirlpool of an arms race,” Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong stated amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing.
“The biggest security challenge in the South China Sea comes from outside the region,” Sun remarked, following a high-level East Asian cooperation meeting in Laos. He accused US-led forces of increasing military actions, inciting maritime disputes, and undermining the rights of coastal countries, Reuters reported.
Sun criticised the US plan to deploy medium-range missile systems in the area, claiming it escalates an arms race and places the Asia Pacific under the shadow of geopolitical conflicts. He emphasized China’s commitment to managing disputes through dialogue, it was reported.
In April, the Philippines asserted its sovereign rights in the South China Sea during a meeting with US allies, accusing China of escalating harassment. China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, vital for over $3 trillion in annual shipping, and has deployed coast guard vessels far from its mainland to enforce its jurisdiction.
Why has China decided to extend its military exercises around Taiwan?.(photo:IN)
The Philippines and China have clashed repeatedly this year over disputed areas within Manila’s exclusive economic zone. While China accuses the Philippines of encroachment, Manila and its allies condemn Beijing’s actions as aggressive. The United States has affirmed its support for Manila.
Earlier this month, China’s Minister of National Defence Admiral Dong Jun warned “external forces” for emboldening Taiwan Independence separatists in an attempt to contain China with Taiwan and said that these malicious intentions are dragging Taiwan into a dangerous situation.”
He said that anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will “end up in self-destruction.”
Chinese Defence Minister said that some external forces keep “hollowing out” the one-China principle and continue to sell arms to Taiwan. He said that external forces were taking these actions to “Taiwan Independence separatists in an attempt to contain China with Taiwan” and stressed that these intentions are dragging Taiwan into a dangerous situation.
Days after Lai Ching-te was sworn in, China launched two-day-long military drills, surrounding Taiwan in what it called “punishment” for so-called “separatist acts,” CNN reported.
The reason for China’s drill is Lai’s inaugural speech, in which he called on Beijing to stop intimidating the island nation, over which China continues to make its claim.
A total of 9 Chinese PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels were detected in the vicinity of Taiwan….reports Asian Lite News
In a concerning escalation of regional tensions, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence reported on Sunday morning a significant presence of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels operating in close proximity to its territory.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence, as of 6 am today, a total of 9 Chinese PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels were detected in the vicinity of Taiwan. Of particular alarm was the breach of airspace, with 5 PLA aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, encroaching into Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zones (ADIZ).
In response to these provocative manoeuvers, Taiwan’s ROC Armed Forces have been actively monitoring the situation, swiftly deploying measures to address the unfolding scenario and upholding national security protocols.
The intrusion of PLA assets into Taiwan’s airspace underscores the heightened tensions in the region, as Taiwan continues to grapple with increasing military activities from mainland China. This latest incident further underscores Taiwan’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding its territorial integrity and sovereignty amidst escalating provocations.
Chinese drone threat
The Taiwan Army’s Kinmen Defence Command said on Saturday that it will take countermeasures in accordance with drone regulations after a Chinese TikTok video claimed that drones would be flown to Kinmen to drop propaganda leaflets.
The decision comes after two unidentified persons said they would deliver leaflets near the Mashan observation post on Kinmen to “send warmth to the Taiwanese troops”, Taiwan News reported, citing Kinmen Defence Command press release.
After reviewing the video, the Taiwanese military said that no drones flew near the camp area. The Kinmen Defense Command said some Chinese individuals with unclear motives did not consider the effect of fueling resentment among the Taiwanese and frayed cross-strait relations.
The command said that these people intend to gain the attention of the media and increase social media traffic or popularity, adding that their behaviour and mindset are not to be condoned.
According to the Command statement, the Taiwan military closely monitors enemy threats and does not give in to the “frivolous actions of Chinese netizens.” It further said that camouflaging weapons, equipment and facilities on Kinmen has been completed.
The incident comes at a time when Kinmen is set to play an important part in Han Kuang 40 military exercises set to take place in July, according to Chief of the General Staff Admiral Mei Chia-shu. Mei said geographic circumstance of Kinmen implies that forces posted on the island must cooperate closely.
On May 29, Taiwan’s Coast Guard on Wednesday expelled two Chinese military vessels that entered waters off Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported, citing Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA). (ANI)
Some reports have indicated that the incident took place in Nanjing and the tour group was visiting a book fair when the tourist was detained…reports Asian Lite News
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has advised Taiwanese nationals travelling to China to be careful after a citizen travelling with a tour group was briefly detained in China earlier this week, Taiwan News reported.
Taiwan’s MAC said that it is still seeking clarification from China on why the traveller was questioned by Chinese authorities. MAC Chair Chiu Chui-cheng said that Taiwanese visiting China should remember to register on its online platform, Taiwan News, reported citing CNA.
Some reports have indicated that the incident took place in Nanjing and the tour group was visiting a book fair when the tourist was detained, Taiwan News reported.
The traveller, whose name has not been identified, was separated from their tour group and held for a few days before being released, possibly because they had previously worked in an industry that China regards “sensitive.” The traveller has safely returned to Taiwan, Taiwan News reported, citing reports.
It is the first time in 2024 that a member of a Taiwanese tour group has been detained by police in China. On Friday, Chiu said that MAC is still conducting investigation into the details surrounding the incident.
Taiwan’s MAC advised tour groups and guides to immediately report any incidents involving tour members being questioned or detained by Chinese authorities, Taiwan News reported.
The MAC’s advisory comes a week ahead of the Straits Forum, which will be held in Xiamen on June 15. Several Taiwan government officials, including county magistrates from Yunlin and Kinmen, have applied for the MAC’s approval to attend the event.
Recently, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that it detected 13 Chinese military aircraft, five naval ships, and four coast guard vessels around Taiwan between 6 am (local time) on Friday to 6 am (local time) on Saturday, Taiwan News reported.
Of the 13 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, six were detected in the southwest and eastern sectors of Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), according to Taiwan’s MND, according to Taiwan News report.
In retailiation to China’s action, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor Chinese PLA activity. (ANI)
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif is likely to see the inauguration of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s second phase….reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their consensus on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s (CPEC) high-quality development and the timely completion of major ongoing projects in a meeting, reported Dawn.
This comes at a time when the Pakistan PM and his delegation are on a five-day visit to China, marking Shehbaz Sharif’s first visit to China following the February 8 general elections.
The two leaders also affirmed their consensus on CPEC’s upgradation and advancing the mega project’s development in its second phase, according to Dawn.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif is likely to see the inauguration of CPEC’s second phase.
The trip, however, has led to a delay in the annual federal budget usually presented in the first week of June and is now expected to be presented on June 12, according to the government’s tentative plan.
The Pakistan prime minister briefed Chinese President Xi on Pakistan’s policies for economic reforms, sustained growth, industrial development, agricultural modernisation, regional connectivity and the critical role played by CPEC in the country’s development.
He asserted Pakistan’s commitment to CPEC’s high-quality development and to fostering synergy between the development strategies of the two countries through close coordination, reported Dawn.
Notably, this was the first meeting of PM Shehbaz with President Xi since assuming office.
The meeting was marked by “traditional warmth reflective of the ironclad friendship and close strategic ties between the two countries”, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Pakistan PM commended President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Global Development Initiative, and further underscored that as the flagship project of BRI, CPEC had significantly contributed to Pakistan’s socio-economic development.
Meanwhile, the Chinese leader also called on Shehbaz Sharif to step up efforts to ensure the security of Chinese projects in Pakistan, Dawn reported.
While the first phase of CPEC largely focussed on infrastructure and energy projects, Pakistan is seeking to broaden the focus of CPEC-II to agriculture, industry (business-to-business), information technology and science.
Besides, Pakistan is also pushing for agreements on the construction of USD 6.7 Billion Main Line-I (ML-I) of Pakistan Railways, which is a 1733km railway line from Karachi to Peshawar, along with the realignment of Karakoram Highway, among other projects.
Additionally, the recent ministerial visits endeavoured to convince Chinese investors to commit to cross-sectoral investments in various domains of Pakistan’s economy such as tourism and startups.
These are seen as necessary to diversify their bilateral economic engagements which could provide Pakistan with a much-needed infusion of fresh capital to alleviate its distressed economy and reverse its declining trends.
However, what has headlined Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China are Beijing’s preconditions, demanding Islamabad’s express commitment to launching a second Zarb-e-Azb military campaign against militant groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), and various Baloch armed groups. These groups have increasingly targeted Chinese-linked facilities in Pakistan.
According to a now-removed report in Business Recorder, Chinese government officials asked the Pakistan government to take definitive action against these militant groups and “crush them once and for all.”
It is worth recalling that Pakistan’s military launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014 against its former allies-turned-foes, including various TTP factions, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Jundullah, among others, in response to a significant surge in terror violence that claimed the lives of thousands of civilians and hundreds of security forces personnel across the country’s tribal areas during the 2011-2014 period.
Beijing’s demand comes amidst an unprecedented surge in the terror attacks on Chinese-linked infrastructure projects over the last few years, which have killed dozens of Chinese nationals.
The continued rise in such attacks has raised concern in Beijing about the Pakistan government’s ability to secure its nationals and the durability of its investments and projects in the country.
For instance, Pakistan witnessed nearly 250 terror attacks in the first quarter of 2024, including three major attacks targeting Chinese interests between March 16 and March 26, which left five Chinese nationals dead.
In the first attack, Baloch militants struck the Gwadar Port Authority complex in Gwadar, Balochistan, on March 20. The port, built with Chinese funds, is the flagship component of the USD 65 billion CPEC under BRI.
This was followed by an attack on the Pakistan Naval Station (PNS) base at Turbat by Baloch militants on March 25, protesting China’s continued presence in the province.
In the third attack, on March 26, a suicide bomber from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targeted a convoy of Chinese workers, who were working on a Chinese-funded hydropower project in Besham, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, killing five engineers and their Pakistani driver.
Following these incidents, Beijing reprimanded the Pakistani government for its inability to ensure the security of Chinese nationals and facilities. A statement from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 27 asked Islamabad “to thoroughly investigate the incident as soon as possible, hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.” (with inputs from agencies)
North Korea, China and Russia are expanding nuclear arsenals at breakneck pace, says a senior White House official National Security Council
North Korea, China and Russia are expanding and diversifying their nuclear weapons stockpiles at a “breakneck” speed, a White House official has said, warning that absent a change in the trajectory of their arsenals, the US may have to increase its own.
Pranay Vaddi, senior director for arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation at the National Security Council, made the remarks at a forum on Friday, noting that the three countries are driving the US and its allies into bracing for a “world where nuclear competition occurs without numerical constraints”, Yonhap news agency reported.
A missile is launched by the rocket force of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), targeting designated maritime areas to the east of the Taiwan Island. (Photo by Wang Yi/Xinhua/IANS)
“Russia, the PRC and North Korea are all expanding and diversifying their nuclear arsenals at a breakneck pace, showing little or no interest in arms control,” he said at the event hosted by the Arms Control Association, a US-based nonpartisan organization. PRC stands for China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.
“Those three, together with Iran, are increasingly cooperating and coordinating with each other in ways that run counter to peace and stability, threaten the United States, our allies and our partners, and exacerbate regional tensions,” he added.
The official pointed out that to deal with the realities of a “new” nuclear era, President Joe Biden recently issued an updated nuclear weapons employment guidance. “It emphasizes the need to account for the growth and diversity of the PRC’s nuclear arsenal and the need to deter Russia, the PRC and North Korea simultaneously,” he said. “It also reaffirms our commitment to use arms control and other tools to minimize the number of nuclear weapons needed to achieve US objectives.”
Vaddi warned that the US will need to adjust its posture and capabilities to ensure its ability to deter growing threats from the three countries should there be no change in their current nuclear weapons policy trajectory. “Let me be clear (that) absent a change in the trajectory of adversary arsenals, we may reach a point in the coming years where an increase from current deployed numbers is required,” he said.
Vaddi stressed that Washington has already taken “prudent” deterrence steps, including pursuing a modern variant of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb, and seeking to extend the life of certain Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines during the transition from legacy to modern capabilities.
He also pointed out that the US has “fully” invested to ensure that its “extended deterrence” commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend allies, continues to contribute to nonproliferation efforts.
He mentioned the Washington Declaration between the US and South Korea as an example of efforts to “jointly approach nuclear scenarios” with allies as “equal partners”. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Biden adopted the declaration last April as part of efforts to enhance the credibility of extended deterrence.
The 9M729 missile container is demonstrated at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center, outside Moscow, Russia. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi/IANS)
The official criticized Russia and China for their “outright refusal” to even discuss arms control, and North Korea for answering the US’ attempts to engage on risk reduction and nuclear issues with “more missile tests and greater hostility”.
“Practically speaking, they are forcing the US, our close allies and partners to prepare for a world where nuclear competition occurs without numerical constraints,” he said. “The reality is that further enhancing our capabilities and posture is incredibly important to rejuvenating strategic arms control.”
The editorial emphasised that as neighboring and two of the largest developing nations, China and India share “more common interests than differences….reports Asian Lite News
As the BJP-led NDA is all set to form a government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the third consecutive time, one of China’s leading English-language newspapers said on Thursday that this is an “opportune moment to reset relations” between the two neighbouring countries.
“The two countries should demonstrate they have the wisdom to settle the dispute through negotiations in good faith. To that purpose, while maintaining their close communication through diplomatic and military channels, they should not allow any external power to take advantage of their border dispute to sow discord between them,” state-run ‘China Daily’ mentioned in an editorial.
While highlighting that as neighbours and the two largest developing countries, China and India have “more common interests than differences”, the editorial blamed “some Western countries” for driving a wedge between New Delhi and Beijing.
“Although the border dispute has flared up and the Indian government has been implementing protectionist measures targeting Chinese companies, investments and imports since 2020, the bilateral trade volume has remained sizable and stable, staying between $120 billion and $130 billion over the past three years. This should prompt New Delhi not to let its Western supplicants have its ear,” it stated.
Suggesting that the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections present India an opportunity to “reset its past China policy” and further tap into the potential of Sino-Indian relations, the editorial mentioned that the two sides should support each other and contribute to each other’s success, instead of viewing each other with suspicion and undermining one another.
China’s development, it stated, does not represent risks, uncertainties or threats to India, but rather growth, development and opportunities, as is true vice versa.
“Combined, the population of the two countries accounts for about 37.5 per cent of the global population. The two neighbours should be open to each other’s development and always make joint efforts to approach bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective.
“The strong complementarity between their economic structures and development stages makes them good partners; their historical cultural and people-to-people bonds make them good neighbours; and by upholding their strategic autonomy on the world stage, they can safeguard world peace and stability and promote a just and fair international order and multilateral global governance,” the China Daily editorial detailed.
At China’s invitation, Cuban Special Envoy Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla will visit China from June 5 to 9…reports Asian Lite News
At China’s invitation, Special Envoy of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla will pay an official visit to China from June 5 to 9, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Tuesday.
Earlier, it was reported that China was considering pursuing military facilities in multiple locations, including Cuba.
As per the latest report by US Intelligence Community, China was also considering Pakistan, Burma, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and the UAE.
These facilities are beyond developing its military base in Djibouti and its military facility at Ream Naval Base in Cambodia.
“Beijing will focus on building a fully modernised national defence and military force by 2035 and for the PLA to become a world-class military by 2049. In the meantime, the CCP hopes to use the PLA to secure what it claims is its sovereign territory, to assert its preeminence in regional affairs, and to project power globally, particularly by being able to deter and counter an intervention by the US in a cross-Strait conflict,” the assessment by the US intelligence said.
Pakistan Prime Minister’s visit to Beijing holds particular importance against the backdrop of Pakistan’s ongoing economic challenges, political instability, heightened security concerns, and largely unravelling regional policy….reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on a significant four-day state visit to China, scheduled from 4th to 7th of June.
The visit holds particular importance against the backdrop of Pakistan’s ongoing economic challenges, political instability, heightened security concerns, and largely unravelling regional policy.
The two countries, which describe their relationship as an ‘all-weather strategic cooperative partnership’, are anticipated to formally launch the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship component of Beijing’s much ambitious expansive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to reshape the global economic landscape with China at its core.
Yet the visit is majorly seen as a desperate bid by Islamabad to secure fresh financial assistance from China to bolster its critically dwindling sovereign reserves and support for the government’s annual budget besides debt restructuring amidst its mounting liabilities owed to China.
This will be Shehbaz Sharif’s first visit to Beijing after assuming power following Pakistan’s controversial February 8 general elections. The visit, initially scheduled for mid-May, faced successive delays despite heightened bilateral engagements throughout the month.
Notably, Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, visited Beijing from May 8-10, followed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s four-day visit from May 13-16, marking his first bilateral trip to China since assuming office in March. During the visit, Dar co-chaired the fifth round of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
Islamabad maintained that these ministerial visits aimed to lay the groundwork for the Prime Minister’s trip by seeking Beijing’s commitment to expanding the scope of the CPEC project under its second phase.
While the first phase of CPEC largely focussed on infrastructure and energy projects, Pakistan is seeking to broaden the focus of CPEC-II to agriculture, industry (business-to-business), information technology and science. Besides, Pakistan is also pushing for agreements on the construction of USD 6.7 Billion Main Line-I (ML-I) of Pakistan Railways, which is a 1733km railway line from Karachi to Peshawar, along with the realignment of Karakoram Highway, among other projects.
Additionally, the ministerial visits endeavoured to convince Chinese investors to commit to cross-sectoral investments in various domains of Pakistan’s economy such as tourism and startups. These are seen as necessary to diversify their bilateral economic engagements which could provide Pakistan with a much-needed infusion of fresh capital to alleviate its distressed economy and reverse its declining trends.
However, what has headlined Shehbaz Sharif’s impending first visit to China are Beijing’s preconditions, demanding Islamabad’s express commitment to launching a second Zarb-e-Azb military campaign against militant groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), and various Baloch armed groups. These groups have increasingly targeted Chinese-linked facilities in Pakistan.
According to a now-removed report in Business Recorder, Chinese government officials asked the Pakistan government to take definitive action against these militant groups and “crush them once and for all.”
It is worth recalling that Pakistan’s military launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014 against its former allies-turned-foes, including various TTP factions, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Jundullah, among others, in response to a significant surge in terror violence that claimed the lives of thousands of civilians and hundreds of security forces personnel across the country’s tribal areas during the 2011-2014 period.
Beijing’s demand comes amidst an unprecedented surge in the terror attacks on Chinese-linked infrastructure projects over the last few years, which have killed dozens of Chinese nationals.
The continued rise in such attacks has raised concern in Beijing about the Pakistan government’s ability to secure its nationals and the durability of its investments and projects in the country.
For instance, Pakistan witnessed nearly 250 terror attacks in the first quarter of 2024, including three major attacks targeting Chinese interests between March 16 and March 26, which left five Chinese nationals dead.
In the first attack, Baloch militants struck the Gwadar Port Authority complex in Gwadar, Balochistan, on March 20. The port, built with Chinese funds, is the flagship component of the USD 65 billion CPEC under BRI.
This was followed by an attack on the Pakistan Naval Station (PNS) base at Turbat by Baloch militants on March 25, protesting China’s continued presence in the province.
In the third attack, on March 26, a suicide bomber from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targeted a convoy of Chinese workers, who were working on a Chinese-funded hydropower project in Besham, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, killing five engineers and their Pakistani driver.
Following these incidents, Beijing reprimanded the Pakistani government for its inability to ensure the security of Chinese nationals and facilities. A statement from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 27 asked Islamabad “to thoroughly investigate the incident as soon as possible, hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
It may be noted that while TTP militants view China as anti-Muslim due to its continued suppression of Uyghur Muslims in the country’s Xinjiang Province, Baloch militants consider Beijing’s role in Balochistan as imperialistic, aiming to exploit the region’s resources with the connivance of the Pakistani government at the expense of local development.
Besides seeking security guarantees, Beijing has explicitly asked Islamabad to streamline and adhere to its debt repayment schedule, especially improving its “forex reserves, clear payments of IPPs… and sort out concerns of Chinese financial institutions” before it could commit any further money to the country.
As per the estimates of the World Bank, Pakistan, reeling under a chronic debt cycle, owes USD 131 billion to external creditors, of which USD 46 billion is owed to China. This figure has been described by many as conservative with AidData, a US-based economic research lab, claiming that China committed USD 68.91 billion in long-term loans to Islamabad, often at high commercial interest rates, during the 2000-21 period, with the Pakistan government securing “at least one emergency rescue loan from Beijing each year from 2012 till 2021” to offset its balance of payments issues.
In particular, China, which retains a substantial share in Pakistan’s energy sector, has explicitly called on Islamabad to clear the payments that are due to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) of China.
Under the CPEC arrangement, Chinese IPPs run 21 projects in Pakistan, which include eight coal projects, four hydel power projects, and eight wind power projects besides a transmission line.
As of April 2024, Pakistan’s outstanding debt of Chinese IPPs has increased to over USD 15.36 billion. It has defaulted multiple times in repaying these companies over the years and, as such, Islamabad has repeatedly sought extension in Beijing to extend the tenure of these debts.
Beijing has further demanded Pakistan provide electricity at incentivised rates in the China-operated Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under CPEC, even as common Pakistanis pay highly inflated power charges. This has become a bone of contention between the two governments and as such pushed China to ask for Pakistan’s roadmap on clearing such dues before agreeing to host Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Therefore, as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embarks on his first visit to Beijing, it is clear that China’s support will not come without significant preconditions.
Beyond the stringent financial expectations set by China regarding Pakistan’s adherence to its debt repayment schedule and clearing outstanding payments to its IPPs, the critical focus will be on Islamabad’s ability to provide a concrete roadmap for securing Chinese nationals and interests within its borders amidst an unprecedented surge in terror attacks targeting Chinese-linked projects.
Consequently, any substantial commitments from Beijing will likely hinge on Islamabad’s tangible actions to meet these security and financial stipulations.
