In an international conference organized by the Pakistan-China Institute on the theme “China at 75: A Journey of Progress, Transformation, and Leadership,” China’s Ambassador Jiang Zedong expressed that security is the biggest obstacle to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and emphasized that “nothing can be achieved without a safe and stable environment.”
During the conference, attended by Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the Chinese Ambassador voiced his concern that security is the top priority for China, as it remains a major hurdle to the progress of CPEC in Pakistan. In just six months, two incidents targeting China’s economic interests and investors have occurred, resulting in the loss of Chinese lives, which is unacceptable for China.
The Chinese government is particularly worried about the completion of its economic and military projects in Balochistan, where nationalist parties and armed groups fighting for independence view China’s economic interests as exploitative, leading to continuous attacks on these projects.
Ambassador Jiang Zedong urged a crackdown on opponents of China’s economic and military projects. However, despite more than two decades of military operations and state repression in Balochistan, no substantial progress has been achieved through force, as the political and armed struggle for independence in Balochistan continues.
Previous efforts by Pakistan to crush the Baloch movement through force have failed, and even with China’s military support, plans to quell this popular movement are unlikely to succeed. The Baloch issue is a political one, centered on rights and freedom. Without recognizing the Baloch people’s right to their natural resources and granting them the right to self-determination, China’s investments on Baloch land are unlikely to be secure.