Windjammer
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Pakistan’s army chief was feted in Beijing this week on a visit that could heighten concerns in New Delhi and Washington over China’s intentions in South Asia.
The arrival of General Raheel Sharif in the Chinese capital on Monday — a day after India successfully tested an interceptor missile designed to destroy incoming nuclear capable missiles — follows a report by the Pentagon warning that China is seeking to establish a naval base in Pakistan.
The report, published last week, said China would “most likely seek to establish additional naval logistics hubs in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan.”
Chinese companies have helped Pakistan build the port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, the centrepiece of the $46bn pledged by Beijing for infrastructure spending linking China to Pakistan, known as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. Many observers believe that China will ultimately seek to use the port as a naval base.
However, both Pakistani and Chinese officials said their understanding of the economic corridor is that it is limited to economic co-operation and has no security component.
Andrew Small, an expert on China Pakistan relations at the German Marshall Fund, said it was reasonable to expect some sort of basing arrangement “Having crossed the threshold with the Djibouti [in the Horn of Africa] deal, Pakistan would be a very obvious choice, and it appears that the PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) views it that way.”
Such a step would be sure to anger India, and raise questions in Washington. Xu Jin, a professor of international relations at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, said that the Chinese-Pakistani friendship is “the closest thing China has to an alliance.”
While in Beijing, Gen Sharif met Chinese premier Li Keqiang and held talks with Fan Changlong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, which oversees the country’s military.
Pakistan has long viewed China has a counterweight to its historic enemy, India. There are concerns in Islamabad that this week’s interceptor missile test may tip the balance of power between the two nuclear armed neighbours in India’s favour.
“In times of difficulty, Pakistan has always turned to its close friend China for help. I am certain the Indian test came up for detailed discussions between General Raheel Sharif and the Chinese,” a senior Pakistani foreign ministry official said.
Gen Sharif’s visit to China follows a recent squabble between Pakistan and Washington over congressional objections to US funding for eight new F-16 fighter jets meant for sale to Islamabad.
Following the spat, Pakistani officials said they were considering alternatives such as the Chinese J-10 for future purchases. Pakistan is already by far China’s main client for arms exports.
“The timing of this visit is very significant,” said Masood Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to China and now head of the Islamabad Strategic Studies Institute (ISSI). “There’s a long history of China’s co-operation with Pakistan.”
Additional reporting by Ma Fangjing
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eb02bb06-1c06-11e6-a7bc-ee846770ec15.html#axzz48vI4dVmA
