Tag: China Pakistan Economic Corridor

Pakistan tightens security in Balochistan to protect CPEC projects
27Feb By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Pakistan tightens security in Balochistan to protect CPEC projects

Pakistan military has increased the security in Balochistan province amid a rise in attacks on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.“We have raised two division-size security settlements which are dedicated to providing security to CPEC, besides that, we have increased the number of paramilitary troops’ units from one to two in the province to ensure security,” said Major General Babar Iftikhar, Director General of the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations.The security for the CPEC has been beefed up directly and indirectly by providing more security to CPEC projects and enhancing security in the whole province to ensure smooth work at CPEC projects after recent attacks on the facility.Though Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan with ample natural res...
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China’s illegal ‘profiteering’ in power sector leads to blackouts in Pakistan: Report
23Jan By Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, World

China’s illegal ‘profiteering’ in power sector leads to blackouts in Pakistan: Report

A recent report has claimed that the billions which China has invested in Pakistan’s power sector and all the deals made with Pakistan contributed to the recent nationwide blackout, which is likely to return in future.A report of the nine-member committee headed by Muhammad Ali, a former chairperson of the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) of April 2020 FM Shakil, in an opinion piece said the report has made startling revelations about widespread malpractice in the power sector.The report exposed the extent of Independent Power Producer (IPP) corruption, including among Chinese units installed under a government-to-government arrangement for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related operation.The report traced 100 billion Pakistani rupees (USD 625 million) in annual...
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A headless chicken: Multiple obstacles hit CPEC’S progress
17Nov By Brian ThompsonNo Comments
China, Market, USA

A headless chicken: Multiple obstacles hit CPEC’S progress

 A ‘headless’ body, officially admitted as such, is supposed to be taking (or delaying) decisions in Pakistan regarding the 60 billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.The Pakistan Government’s ordinance under which the CPEC Authority (CPECA) was set up last year lapsed in July, 2020 and no fresh legal/constitutional arrangement has been made. Questioned by a parliamentary committee, the government said the body is headed by “no one.”The man placed at the top of CPECA, retired Lt. general Asim Bajwa, is working away from the office, and not drawing any salary. He was forced to resign as a Special Adviser of Prime Minister Imran Khan in October following media exposure about over 90 business firms his family has allegedly set up. He was holding dual charge and now, Kha...
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China appoints trade expert as new ambassador to Pakistan to help drive infrastructure development plan
23Oct By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, China

China appoints trade expert as new ambassador to Pakistan to help drive infrastructure development plan

In a bid to bring to life its multibillion-dollar infrastructure development partnership, China has appointed a trade specialist - with no formal experience as a diplomat - as its new ambassador to Pakistan.Nong Rong – the Communist Party secretary of the ethnic and religious affairs commission in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region – was named by the foreign ministry as the new ambassador to Pakistan.“Although Nong is not trained as a diplomat, he has experience in economic diplomacy with Southeast Asian countries,” said Wang Dehua, a South Asia specialist at the Shanghai Municipal Centre for International Studies.“The fact he headed the ethnic and religious affairs commission suggests he is capable of dealing with sensitive issues,” he said.One of Nong’s primary roles will be to promote...
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China making inroads into Pakistan’s mainstream media and telecommunications, warns experts
17Jun By Michael SmithNo Comments
USA

China making inroads into Pakistan’s mainstream media and telecommunications, warns experts

Chinese inroads into Pakistan's mainstream media, and state-level bilateral cooperation on telecommunications infrastructure and surveillance is growing, posing a threat to people's freedom of speech in the country, a researcher has warned.Nowmay Opalinski, a research intern with the Centre for Internal & Regional Security (IreS), said, "These developments are taking place against a backdrop of Pakistani state's growing attempts to censor online content domestically. “How does this set of circumstances favour China? Where does China's big picture media strategy fit into this?" he added. Opalinski found that since 2012, the government of Pakistan has been attempting to implement a national firewall to tighten control over content shared online. The introduction of the Pakistan Electroni...
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