China-Pakistan relations

Why is it in news?
  • In recent visit of Pakistan PM to china, two countries signed 16 agreements to boost their "all-weather" strategic ties.
  • It will provide the "necessary support" to Pakistan to tide over the present financial crisis and expanding CPEC projects.
Visit outcomes
  • Visit also aimed at-
  1. To iron out differences over the multi-billion-dollar.
  2. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and
  3. Islamabad approaching 'friendly nations' to avoid a tough IMF bailout package.
  • 16 agreements mainly relating- to poverty alleviation in Pakistan, strengthening cooperation in agriculture and industrial sectors and technical training.
  • IMF bailout package- Pakistan has already approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout package and wants to minimise IMF loans fearing stringent conditions and scrutiny of the CPEC projects.
  • Aid- Beijing will provide $6 billion in aid to Islamabad which included a loan of $1.5 billion along with an additional package of $3 billion for the CPEC.
  • Foreign-ministerial dialogue mechanism- Both sides have agreed to establish a foreign-ministerial dialogue mechanism to make overall planning and coordinate in various fields.
  • Cooperation on Terrorism- China has been pressing Pakistan to crack down on Uygur militants of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) in Xinjiang region from crossing in and out of the province.
India’s Concern over CPEC and China
  • RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) or comprehensive regional economic integration agreement between the 16 Asia-pacific countries.
  • It includes 10-ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its six FTA partners (Australia, New Zealand,India, China, Japan and Korea).
  • The grouping would comprise 25% of global GDP, 30% of global trade, 26% of FDI flows, and 45% of the population.
India’s Concern over CPEC and China
  • CPEC-
  1. It gives China a foothold in the western Indian Ocean with the Gwadar port.
  2. It located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, where Chinese warships and a submarine have surfaced.
  3. Access to it allows China greater potential to control maritime trade in that part of the world—a vulnerable point for India, which sources more than 60% of its oil supplies from the Middle East.
  4. CPEC will provide China strategic access to the Arabian Sea and enhance its presence in the region.
  5. It would enable China to wield much more powerful influence in the Indian Ocean.
  • Kashmir-
1 CPEC project, once completed, Chinese presence in entire Pakistan including Pakistan Occupied Kashmir becomes all pervasive and powerful.

  • OBOR-
  1. It is a unilateral ideational of China and there is a lack of transparency in its working.
  2. The process is not participatory and collaborative in nature.
  3. Through OBOR, China is countering the strategies of India in North East region and is promoting its greater presence in North East India.
  • String of pearls-
  1. Under Maritime Silk Route (MSR) China is developing ports in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.
  2. It is trying to enlarge its influence using its economic might in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
Source
The Hindu, Firstpost


Posted by Jawwad Kazi on 8th Nov 2018
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