Tag: Gwadar port

What is China’s military aspiration for Gwadar?
11Sep By Stuart WhiteNo Comments
Conflict, Opinion, Singapore, World

What is China’s military aspiration for Gwadar?

For a long time, Pakistan’s Gwadar port has long been touted as the site for a Chinese base suitable for People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) operations, however, it is not inevitable that Gwadar will become a PLAN base.The Chinese Communist Party pursues a “strategic strongpoint” concept whereby strategically sited foreign ports containing terminals and commercial zones operated by Chinese firms can be used by its military.These “strongpoints” offer the potential for China to form a network of supply, logistics and intelligence hubs, and there is a nascent network along the perimeter of the Indian Ocean.Gwadar is important to Beijing for two reasons. First is establishing direct transport links to the Indian Ocean via the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). For this reason, China doe
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China-Pakistan Economic Corridor faces new threats from militancy
23Aug By Stuart WhiteNo Comments
Opinion

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor faces new threats from militancy

Ever since its launch in 2013, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been facing a lot of cynical scrutiny, with the United States cautioning that CPEC projects are neither transparent nor cost-efficient, and warning Islamabad that it is subjecting itself to expensive loans under China’s Belt and Road Initiative – through which Beijing has pledged more than US$60 billion so far.However, supporters of the project, including the Pakistani government, say that Islamabad will not end up being a client state of Beijing’s, and that the CPEC is its best shot at economic development.Indeed, the CPEC has not progressed as planned, with several large projects shelved and others still uncompleted. The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to slow things down further, even though Pakistan has approved
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Indian intelligence agencies sound alarm over spurt in heroin smuggling from Pakistan via sea
28Jul By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

Indian intelligence agencies sound alarm over spurt in heroin smuggling from Pakistan via sea

Following inputs from international counterparts about a sudden increase in the smuggling of heroin from the Gwadar port of Makran coast in Pakistan, the Indian enforcement agencies have taken proactive steps and increased maritime surveillance.“Inputs from the Tanzanian authorities have been shared by the international organizations, following purported revelations by a Tanzanian national”, said an official.The accused said heroin consignments were being smuggled on board dhows from Pakistan and they were being dropped at various coastal locations on the Tanzania border. About 25 such dhows had entered the Tanzanian coastal region between March and May.The consignments were also being routed via Mozambique, where 12 Pakistani nationals — who initially claimed that they were fishermen — we
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