China through CPEC aims to become new Colonization Master

China through CPEC, aims to become new Colonization Master

Lure of economic prosperity and enmity with India bringing Pakistan into colonization under China.

What is CPEC?

China Pakistan Economic Corridor - is a collection of infrastructure projects that are currently under progress in Pakistan. Size of project is $54B, Area of investment - Pakistan, Investor - China, Purpose of project - To transport goods in and out of China to/from Africa, West Asia and Middle East through Gwadar Port in Pakistan

Let’s dive a bit into CPEC for more details:

You must this be thinking, Why is this project important to China and why is it in Pakistan? For that we need to understand current geopolitical, economic and security scenarios for China. All of China’s exports to Middle East, Africa, West Asia currently happens through “Strait of Malacca” and thats the big worry. So what? you might say- This area near to Malaysia and transports all of China’s shipment along the country coasts of Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Taiwan. Okay so? Remember “South China Sea Disputes”? Its the sea area (Spratly Islands) which China claims as its own, even though its 800 miles from China and just 100 miles  from these countries. Check picture. China is in constant fear mongering with these nations to claim this area. Situation is so bad that China has build up artificial islands in this area for military presence to secure trade routes. Okay, many countries have disputes with many counties, how is this different? Imagine a conflict situation, lets say China wants to acquire Taiwan - Aah! China thinks its their territory, yes China thinks whole area around them is theirs and that too from 2000 years, not sure how they maintained books and maps from 2000 years? well, let’s not divert, so if there is war situation on Taiwan, US could block this trade route which would affect not only business worth $4 trillion but also 80% of China’s Oil supply, which happens through this region and without Oil you can’t fight a war!! Why would US block this route? - Not officially but their is rhetoric that US would stop China from acquiring Taiwan. Coming back to question why Pakistan and why not Thailand, Burma, Bangladesh then? these can also reach China through Ocean, right? Answer to this is - India!! Indian Navy commands Indian Ocean and in any event with India, India could jeopardize this shipping route as well. And thats how we come to Pakistan!! Pakistan is near to West Asia, Middle East - The Oil tanker of world, Africa - new kid with emerging economies on the world map. And Of course, Pakistan has enmity with India so there is no fear of Indian Navy, US Navy for this route. Pakistan has had 4 wars with India which it lost so natural ally of China, which won war against India in 1962. So it cements their bromance. By the way, their are allegations that China has supplied nuclear technology to Pakistan which in turn to North Korea. Oops! again going on different route. All guys west of Pakistan has some issues with US and ready to seek another “super power’s” affection and China considers she is the One. Yes, she is “Super-power” now, with $11 trillion economy and all, you are called superpower. West of Pakistan is literally all “OIL”, you dig anywhere and you will find oil, check the names - Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria and big daddy of all Saudi Arabia. Being near to them is how you secure your oil supply. Note here, China can connect directly to Pakistan only in this area, check map, yup Google Maps. So what is the price for saving $4 trillion business and energy security? $54B!! who won’t pay that? - mind you, Only China can pay $54B!!

What’s in it for Pakistan? 

Well, you have to run after Governments, business communities of western world to get even portion of that money, but here its coming to Pakistan on its own. Blessing in disguise for a country marked with daily terrorist incidences!! Whole world knows Pakistan’s track record on terrorism front, half the worlds most dangerous terrorists live in Pakistan, even Osama Bin Laden was in Islamabad. so what’s this project bringing in for Pakistan? - Its multilane highways, railroads, power plants, ports and mind you, these all will be world class. Roads stretching from Karakoram highway till Gwadar Port city. Karakoram highway is where China enters Pakistan. Highways will single handedly consume $10B of CPEC project. Wow, so all of this for Pakistani public that too by China? Doesn’t it look confusing? why would a country invest so much in other country without any gains?

Let’s take closer look: 

Gwadar Port City - This the main crux of this project, all of this investments in Pakistan is just for the sake of location that Gwadar Port provides to China. From here China’s goods will enter and exit for African, west asian and middle east countries. This is the place from where China will get new lifeline for its oil security, trade routes, having direct connectivity with Chinese Mainland. Whole cost of this port and projects around the city is whooping $1B. Do you wanna see mind boggling numbers involved in this project? - 2282 acre of free trade area - modeled on economic zones of China, land here is handed over to “China Overseas Port Holding Company” that too for 43 years!! For 23 years, there can’t be any Pakistani TAX on Chinese companies operating in this area, even the contractors and sub-contractors of Chinese port company would be exempted for 20 years. whatever is imported through this port has 40 years of tax holiday!! yes 40 years, so next 50 years of energy security for China through $54B!! There is coal power plant, International airport, 300 bed hospital and this is all funded by “Exim Bank of China”, yes again a Chinese bank and that too at 0%, you are correct, thats because this is Chinese area, all facilities are for Chinese and thats how this is all funded with 0% interest rate. Pakistani youth is neither educated nor trained to work on such ports, so who is going to do this? Of course Chinese workers!! There is no Pakistani company, no Pakistani workers but a Chinese ones in this area, so whatever development happens, Pakistani companies or people will not get any portion of it.  This site is supposed to have manufacturing zones, logistics hubs, warehouses and shopping malls. Now Pakistani public neither has any money to spend in these shopping malls or anything Pakistani public wants could be stored in temperature controlled warehouses, so what is this for? - For Chinese goods and workers who would be living in this zone. If you read this para again and pause for a minute to think, you will realize this is a Chinese mini city in the heart of Pakistan. Airports would be used by Chinese Businessmen and Government officials to keep tab on business through this port, hospitals for their people as Pakistanis would not be able to afford it. You won’t believe it but this all area is guarded by Pakistani Military!! Yes, so only income if any company in Pakistan is making out of this is their Military!! 

Gwadar, looks as a sister city from colonization - Let me take a pause here and let’s go back to brief history before worlds wars.. let’s go into the Great British empire history. Nobody can deny that India was crown jewel of British Empire, yes the empire on which Sun never sets!! but in current scenarios there are hardly any British people in Britain. not diverting here again.. It’s British, who used Indian ports to transport all raw materials out of India to Britain eventually destroying all of India’s industry structure. British commerce ran Indian ports for their benefit. There were colonies of British people like ones of Lutyens in Delhi, only for officials of British Raj. Indian’s were used, harassed the way they wanted in this area because it was their jurisdiction and who used to protect these areas? Indian Police. So did you get any similarities between Gwadar City and Indian Port City of British era? Their is nothing that Gwadar port can give to Pakistan, there goods hardly pass through it, because of no Pakistani commerce existance, city will not be under their control as Chinese are paying for this area, so they are reduced to becoming night watchmen to Chinese activity. No country compromises with its sovereignty for sake of trade and commercial interests. Pakistan has done it without getting any penny may be thinking to score some points against India, which India doesn’t value. A fake propaganda of economic prosperity for Pakistani people has been publicized to fill politicians own pockets and to divert public’s attention to raise moral against India. It’s a city under complete control of Chinese authority. 

So hows this port connected with China? Thats through infrastructure development of Pakistan - Well, if Gwadar is main crux, so is the connectivity of it with China. China is building massive infrastructure to support and ensure smooth passage for its goods through Gwadar port. for that purpose Roads, Rails, Power Plants everything is being build up. Pakistanis think that its for them, may be thats what Pakistani government conveys them, but in fact all of this will be the supporting features for trade, transport through Gwadar port. So what does that mean? To supply its own needs, China will use Pakistani resources- yes. Massive $33B will be invested for energy sector projects, utilizing Pakistani resources and which companies will be taking these projects? Independent companies, Okay, so does Pakistani companies have that capacity to produce large power plans? No. Here we go again, these would be Chinese companies and contract mandates Pakistani government to buy electricity as per pre-negotiated rates, making huge debt on public distribution companies. Power plants need loans to start, its available at 5-6% and that too from “Exim Bank of China”. Did you notice something? For a city which is under complete control of China, has rate of interest at 0%, but when it comes to Pakistani area and utilization, its 5-6%. If you are not aware, Sri Lanka built a port through Chinese investment and now loan repayment of that port has ballooned to $8B in few years, which she is finding difficult to payback. It’s a disaster in making for Pakistan, what happens if you don’t payback to your investor? you have to put things as collateral, here Pakistan has put its “sovereignty” as Collateral. Already roads made under this projects are lying unused, there is no paying capacity of people or commerce that exists in Pakistan which can utilize this infrastructure. For NATO supply, US pays commission to Pakistan but for CPEC, its as if Pakistan has signed on blank paper, there are no charges that are levied on Chinese trucks. Whole contracts of road constructions on Eastern and Western highways of CPEC have gone to Chinese companies where Pakistani ones are minority players, even these road constructions are funded with Chinese state-owned banks. So, where are Pakistani people who will benefit out of this? This is the most cruel example of Countries’ own politicians looting its people. Pakistani don’t accept Indian history as their own but then could have taken some lessons from British Raj in India. There is saying “you need to learn from someone else mistake to avoid it on path of progress” but history-less Pakistan is on its way to create one for herself. 

Dangers of CPEC - These ports, roads, power plants and railway infrastructure can sustain when citizens of country have paying capacity, when their commerce is so established that they need these infrastructure, but for now, how will poor Pakistanis pay for tolls on highways that were not their need at all, who will pay for tickets of trains running at 160 km/hr speed? For now, its the city of Gwadar that is being protected by Pakistani Military,  how will they protect this whole infrastructure when people will start feeling oppressed in their own country? CPEC would create two fronts, one civilized front which would confront this development and other military front, which would like to protect its cash cow. There are many fragments in Pakistani society which have taken militancy as their weapon to confront Pakistani atrocities, they want separate country - Baluchistan for instance, where people have already picked up arms struggle for their rights and they already look with suspicion at Islamabad. India’s PM Modi, has already raised oppression of Baluchistan people in the hands of Pakistani military in his Independence day address to nation from Red Fort. In fact there should be concerns in western world about these projects instead of falling in line for OBOR. Here is a military which doesn’t obey its civilian government and has already done three coups, would be stronger than civilian government and won’t need western support anymore. There are radical elements in this military with hands on nukes already creating scary scenario in whole south asia. It’s the American pressure which prevented military from keeping Pakistan under its command throughout but when they have coffins filled with Chinese money, will they bow to Americans? Half of Pakistan is already dealing with or involved in terrorism on either fronts of its borders. Chinese projects, Chinese culture will bring the horrific friction between highly modern and deeply reserve communities of China and Pakistan respectively. Pakistan will go through the pain of colonization under China, creating new history for herself.


Thank You for reading this article, opinion mentioned is something you may not agree with but important thing is to have one of your own. Details mentioned are collected mostly from Wikipedia or news papers and are my way of connecting dots.
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