CPEC: Pakistan’s economic development or China’s Imperialism

[GlobalVillageSpace]

CPEC: Pakistan’s economic development or China’s Imperialism
Global Village Space |

Raheel Hassan |

The 56-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a part of China’s One Belt, One Road vision. Pakistan sees it as a gateway to prosperity, no doubt, but there are too many ambiguous policies of this project with which people are not aware, yet. All is not good in the CPEC. We have to focus on details of this project and need to see the other side of the picture.

The important question to ask is what will be the impact on the domestic industry from the special incentives being given to Chinese investors. What policies have been made in order to protect our own enterprises and industries?

Pakistan’s lower house was informed last month that the government had issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) giving a series of tax exemptions to Chinese firms as an incentive for working in what is considered a highly dangerous decision. These concessions, like extensive tax breaks from customs duty, income tax, sales tax, federal excise duty, and withholding taxes have been granted to Chinese companies for the whole of the CPEC operation, including road, mass transit, and Gwadar port projects. Through this policy, there will be an influx of Chinese companies and investors in Pakistan and we will not be benefited sufficiently enough in terms of tax collection. Surely there will be adverse effects on our fragile economy.

Read more: CPEC’s vulnerabilities: Can Pakistan carve a way out?

The important question to ask is what will be the impact on the domestic industry from the special incentives being given to Chinese investors. What policies have been made in order to protect our own enterprises and industries? Because when Chinese industries come in Pakistan, it will directly affect our local industry because of the cheapest rates. Why doesn’t the government think about the survival of our local industries?

Pakistan will have to pay $90 billion back to China with $34 billion Interest over 30 years against loans and investments of $56 billion under CPEC. The average annual repayment of CPEC will be US$3.7 billion.

There are nine Special Economic Zones planned along the CPEC routes. One each in Panjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Baluchistan, and Islamabad, two in Sindh and one each in FATA, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Last month, the standing committee was informed that only Chinese industrialists would be allowed to set up their industries in these economic zones. What will the domestic companies do? Will our role just be to consume the output of these zones? Why don’t Pakistani industrialists and investors can invest in those zones. Local employment and investment should be a central objective of the CPEC projects.

The worst mistake is to view CPEC as a gift from China or as some sort of self-paying project. Pakistan will have to pay $90 billion back to China with $34 billion Interest over 30 years against loans and investments of $56 billion under CPEC. The average annual repayment of CPEC will be US$3.7 billion. These repayments will peak at around $5 billion in 2022. There is a great saying that “control the debt controls everything”, after IMF, China is going to do the same to us. After controlling the debt, China will command us to structure our policies as per China’s interests. If we look at the bigger picture, then this appears to be China’s soft imperialism. We are transforming from one slavery to another (from the West to the Chinese). Some experts are cautioned that if we would not address these concerns, CPEC will be a big disaster for Pakistan in the long run.

Read full article:
CPEC: Pakistan’s economic development or China’s Imperialism

 

[GlobalVillageSpace]

CPEC: Is the sovereignty of Pakistan being compromised?
Global Village Space |

James M. Dorsey |

A leaked long-term plan for China’s massive $56 billion investment in Pakistan, projects the goals of the Beijing’s One Belt, One Road initiative as a ploy for economic domination, the creation of surveillance states, and allowing China to shape media landscapes.

It also suggests that China’s concept of economic-win-win diplomacy amounts to what one China analyst described as a “China wins twice strategy” that potentially raises the specter of popular opposition to the scheme. China has already encountered popular resistance and setbacks in various Asian countries, including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and the Pakistani province of Baluchistan, a crown jewel of One Belt, One Road.

Many countries eager to attract Chinese investment, often at whatever cost, praised One Belt, One Road at this week’s summit in Beijing attended by 28 heads of state. Nonetheless, critics are questioning China’s motives.

“China needs to nurture a better understanding of its intentions and visions” for the initiative “to prevent unnecessary suspicions about its geopolitical ambition,” The Jakarta Post said in an editorial that acknowledged that “we badly need the huge infrastructure spending that China is bringing.”

Read more: CPEC: Pakistan’s economic development or China’s Imperialism

China had recently used its economic clout to unsuccessfully pressure South Korea.

Similarly, Singapore’s Straits Times noted that China had recently used its economic clout to unsuccessfully pressure South Korea to back away from deployment of an advanced US anti-missile system by reducing Chinese tourism and blocking Korean music videos on streaming services.

Nationalists in Baluchistan have vowed to thwart the Pakistani leg of One Belt, One Road, dubbed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “This conspiratorial plan (CPEC) is not acceptable to the Baloch people under any circumstances. Baloch independence movements have made it clear several times that they will not abandon their people’s future in the name of development projects or even democracy,” said Baloch Liberation Army spokesman, Jeander Baloch.

Mr. Baloch spoke after two attacks by different groups in the last 96 hours, one targeting workers toiling on CPEC-related projects, the other Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, the deputy chairman of the upper house of parliament, and a member of Jamiat e Ulema Islam, a right-wing Sunni Islamist political party that is part of Prime Minister Sharif’s coalition government.

The victims of the attack were from the Pakistani province of Sindh.

The attack on the workers exploited widespread discontent among Baloch that they are not benefitting from massive Chinese investment in their province that provides employment primarily for workers from elsewhere in Pakistan. The victims of the attack were from the Pakistani province of Sindh.

While widely condemned, the attack went to the core of problems with China’s execution of its One Belt, One Road initiative detailed in the leaked plan for Pakistan. The leaking of the plan, including its surveillance aspects, coincided with China’s release of the first public draft of a new intelligence law that gives authorities wide-ranging powers to monitor suspects, raid premises, and seize vehicles and devices while investigating domestic and foreign individuals and groups.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development, and Reform did not deny the authenticity of the leaked plan. Instead, it insisted that the released document “delineates the aspirations of both parties” and asserted that parts of it were “factually incorrect.” The ministry said that the plan was “a live document” and that the published version did not reflect what had since been agreed by China and Pakistan.

Read more: Making a success story out of CPEC: Certain, probable, or doubtful?

The leaking of the plan, including its surveillance aspects, coincided with China’s release of the first public draft of a new intelligence law

Controversy over the leaked document nonetheless highlights problems that repeatedly arise from China’s lack of transparency when it comes to One Belt, One Road as well as a desire by governments that hope to benefit from the initiative to keep secret details that potentially could spark popular opposition.

The leaked document, even if it is not the most current version of plans for CPEC, nonetheless, reflects China’s thinking that has been evident not only in Pakistan but also in countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Tajikistan.

Read full article:
CPEC: Is the sovereignty of Pakistan being compromised?

 

[SBD-3]

I hope this sovereignty is also violated when we buy Chinese weaponry on credit or that counts okay?

 

[Randiana2012]

Do Admins get paid for allowing this GlobalClickbait to post nonsense here?

 

[kabooter_maila]

CPEC: Is the sovereignty of Pakistan being compromised?
Global Village Space |

James M. Dorsey |

A leaked long-term plan for China’s massive $56 billion investment in Pakistan, projects the goals of the Beijing’s One Belt, One Road initiative as a ploy for economic domination, the creation of surveillance states, and allowing China to shape media landscapes.

It also suggests that China’s concept of economic-win-win diplomacy amounts to what one China analyst described as a “China wins twice strategy” that potentially raises the specter of popular opposition to the scheme. China has already encountered popular resistance and setbacks in various Asian countries, including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and the Pakistani province of Baluchistan, a crown jewel of One Belt, One Road.

Many countries eager to attract Chinese investment, often at whatever cost, praised One Belt, One Road at this week’s summit in Beijing attended by 28 heads of state. Nonetheless, critics are questioning China’s motives.

“China needs to nurture a better understanding of its intentions and visions” for the initiative “to prevent unnecessary suspicions about its geopolitical ambition,” The Jakarta Post said in an editorial that acknowledged that “we badly need the huge infrastructure spending that China is bringing.”

Read more: CPEC: Pakistan’s economic development or China’s Imperialism

China had recently used its economic clout to unsuccessfully pressure South Korea.

Similarly, Singapore’s Straits Times noted that China had recently used its economic clout to unsuccessfully pressure South Korea to back away from deployment of an advanced US anti-missile system by reducing Chinese tourism and blocking Korean music videos on streaming services.

Nationalists in Baluchistan have vowed to thwart the Pakistani leg of One Belt, One Road, dubbed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “This conspiratorial plan (CPEC) is not acceptable to the Baloch people under any circumstances. Baloch independence movements have made it clear several times that they will not abandon their people’s future in the name of development projects or even democracy,” said Baloch Liberation Army spokesman, Jeander Baloch.

Mr. Baloch spoke after two attacks by different groups in the last 96 hours, one targeting workers toiling on CPEC-related projects, the other Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, the deputy chairman of the upper house of parliament, and a member of Jamiat e Ulema Islam, a right-wing Sunni Islamist political party that is part of Prime Minister Sharif’s coalition government.

The victims of the attack were from the Pakistani province of Sindh.

The attack on the workers exploited widespread discontent among Baloch that they are not benefitting from massive Chinese investment in their province that provides employment primarily for workers from elsewhere in Pakistan. The victims of the attack were from the Pakistani province of Sindh.

While widely condemned, the attack went to the core of problems with China’s execution of its One Belt, One Road initiative detailed in the leaked plan for Pakistan. The leaking of the plan, including its surveillance aspects, coincided with China’s release of the first public draft of a new intelligence law that gives authorities wide-ranging powers to monitor suspects, raid premises, and seize vehicles and devices while investigating domestic and foreign individuals and groups.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development, and Reform did not deny the authenticity of the leaked plan. Instead, it insisted that the released document “delineates the aspirations of both parties” and asserted that parts of it were “factually incorrect.” The ministry said that the plan was “a live document” and that the published version did not reflect what had since been agreed by China and Pakistan.

Read more: Making a success story out of CPEC: Certain, probable, or doubtful?

The leaking of the plan, including its surveillance aspects, coincided with China’s release of the first public draft of a new intelligence law

Controversy over the leaked document nonetheless highlights problems that repeatedly arise from China’s lack of transparency when it comes to One Belt, One Road as well as a desire by governments that hope to benefit from the initiative to keep secret details that potentially could spark popular opposition.

The leaked document, even if it is not the most current version of plans for CPEC, nonetheless, reflects China’s thinking that has been evident not only in Pakistan but also in countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Tajikistan.

Read full article:
CPEC: Is the sovereignty of Pakistan being compromised?

“This conspiratorial plan (CPEC) is not acceptable to the Baloch people ...."

Which Baloch people? Those a dozen or so sell-out Indian agents who are sitting in India, UK, Switzerland and elsewhere and living on Hindu throw-outs? Those selfish monkeys are rather a disgrace for the Baloch people and their traditions. These exploitive former tribal chieftains and their sons were the root cause of the prevailing poverty in that province. Now the common people of Balochistan see the great opportunity to get rid of the exploitive tribal system and a much better life of liberty. People are seeing all the development projects, getting jobs and business opportunities without a fear of these cruel tribal leaders. The law of the land now applies there. No more private jails are being run by the tribal leaders. Some people have in the past been languishing in those jails for the whole their life. The common people of Balochistan are now free and supporting the development projects. They are dreaming of the prosperity. The people of Balochistan have a dignity and self-respect. The sell-out Indian agents and ghaddars like Jeander Baloch cann’t represent the people of Balochistan. They are rather a disgrace and shame for the people of Balochistan. How can they represent the common people after they cowardly ran away into the enemy lap?