ScreenshotBeijing and Islamabad are reportedly close to a deal to set up joint security firms to protect Chinese citizens working in Pakistan, after a series of jihadist attacks put multi-billion dollar investments at risk.
According to Nikkei, The deal would see Chinese security personnel working inside Pakistan, something Islamabad had previously opposed despite mounting pressure from Beijing. The deal could also lead to the transportation of Chinese nationals in armored vehicles.
Pakistan’s largest investor, China, has become increasingly wary of future deals after its citizens were targeted in a series of deadly attacks in recent years.
Pakistan is grappling with a surge in militant activity ranging from Islamists aiming to overthrow the government to separatists trying to carve out a homeland in southwestern Balochistan, home to the port of Gwadar, the hub of the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC.
Beijing has pressured Pakistan to take greater measures to protect its citizens and pushed for armored vehicles during recent negotiations on the second phase of the CPEC, a key element of the Belt and Road Initiative.
In practice, Pakistani personnel will be in the outer cordon and Chinese personnel will be in the inner cordon for the protection of Chinese citizens, to ensure minimum contact between Chinese security personnel and ordinary Pakistani citizens.
China, which has linked future investments in Pakistan to cooperation on counter-terrorism and enhanced security, demands that Pakistan allow Chinese security firms to protect its citizens from 2022.
Islamabad has repeatedly rejected that demand, even though it desperately needs more investment in a shattered economy propped up by repeated International Monetary Fund bailouts.
Beijing has promised more investment if it accepts the joint security deal, including more funding for infrastructure, energy and transport projects under the CPEC. Beijing negotiators have also hinted at a quick resumption of the $7 billion Main Line 1 railway, the largest single CPEC project that would connect Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar to the southern coastal hub of Karachi via a more than 2,600-kilometer-long railway, Pakistani media reported.
Historically, China has relied solely on host governments to protect its people and investments. Now Beijing would be willing to take an active role in securing its interests abroad.
But China’s security on the ground could be a problem for Pakistan, as it could cause local backlash.
China has also proposed deeper counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan to work against separatists in Balochistan and Taliban militants who have attacked Chinese citizens. The two countries, which have close defense ties, are already cooperating in the fight against terrorism through personnel training, joint military exercises and military equipment supplied by China.
Anthony Albanese
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