TWO separate developments speak volumes about Chinese commitment to regional peace and security as well as welfare of people of Pakistan and also that of Afghanistan. Following a trilateral dialogue among Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, the three sides issued a joint statement, which, among other things, reaffirms their commitment to strengthen trilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and jointly extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan. And China’s Defence Minister Li Shangfu on Monday told Pakistan’s naval chief Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi that their militaries including their navies should “expand into new fields of cooperation” to bolster the capability of the two neighbours in safeguarding security in the region.
These are not ordinary statements but part of the overall vision of the Chinese leadership for a peaceful and prosperous region and there are bright prospects to realize this cherished objective as Beijing is more than willing to extend financial and technical cooperation for the purpose. Extension of CPEC to Afghanistan, plan to build $58 billion railway line to link the port city of Gwadar with Kashgar in Xinjiang province of China and offer of military cooperation to deal with all sorts of risks and challenges mean much both for Pakistan and impoverished Afghanistan in terms of their economic development and safeguarding their sovereignty and territorial integrity, especially in the backdrop of highly discriminatory approaches adopted by some influential countries including measures to isolate Afghanistan. Extension of CPEC to Afghanistan should receive priority attention of the three countries as it would help transform the otherwise war-torn country into a hub of connectivity, ensure enormous economic and employment opportunities for Afghan people and give the much-needed boost to the efforts of Pakistan and China to increase trade with the Central Asian Republics (CARs). China is already investing heavily on development and modernization of the port and its facilities in Gwadar and completion of these projects would help realize the target of making Gwadar a hub of regional trade and connectivity for which a strong reference has also been made in the joint statement. Together with CASA-1000, TAPI, and Trans-Afghan Railways, these plans have the potential to revolutionize regional trade and connectivity to the benefit of all participating countries. The prospects for successful implementation of all these plans and initiatives are there as the way the Taliban have governed Afghanistan during the last one year has sent strong signals to the outside world for restoration of genuine peace and stability in the country. Lack of instability and precarious security situation were the major hurdles in the way of implementation of plans for regional and bilateral cooperation in different fields but the Taliban have effectively run the country despite challenges thrown by the virtual boycott of the outside world. China’s sincerity to the cause of regional peace, security and progress is also manifested by its deep commitment to the Afghan peace process. The trilateral mechanism has started bearing fruits as three parties highlighted the importance of addressing security challenges that pose a significant threat to regional and global security, and directly impacting the stability and economic prosperity of the entire region. They agreed to coordinate on security matters, including organised crime, drug smuggling and others. Highlighting the need to boost economic activity in Afghanistan, the three countries emphasized the significance of exploring feasible pathways towards reviving the Afghan economy. As a step towards this goal, they agreed to consider additional support for the reconstruction of Afghanistan and exploring trilateral investment opportunities that promote industrialization and job creation and this is important as resolution of the economic challenges would allow the Taliban Government to focus more attention on improving internal and border security. As CPEC is progressing well and offers huge opportunities for expansion of regional trade, some forces are continuously hatching conspiracies against the initiative. Attempts are being made to undermine efforts aimed at realizing the full economic and trade potential of Gwadar and this calls for urgent and proper investment to make the Pakistan Navy powerful enough to foil these designs effectively. In this backdrop, the offer made by China’s Defence Minister deserves serious consideration, who affirmed that “the two militaries should expand into new areas of exchanges, create new high points of cooperation to continuously enhance their ability to deal with all sorts of risks and challenges, and jointly maintain the security interests of the two countries and of the region.” We hope practical measures would be taken on a priority basis to transform into reality the understanding reached during the visit of the naval chief to China.
