Stronger ties

The visit by Prime Minister Imran Khan and eight of his ministers to Beijing was a trip intended to mark Pakistan's support and appreciation for the Winter Olympics 2022 which are continuing at Beijing. But during the visit the prime minister had time to meet China’s President Xi Jinping and the premier of the country, after which the two sides issued a joint statement. The statement is all the more important at a time when there have been rumblings and rumours about Pakistan pivoting west under pressure. The international and regional landscape has a lot to do with the politics of this region as well. The economic and political landscape, from Europe and Middle East to South Asia and the South China Sea, has experienced some major ripples in the past year or so, especially after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Taliban takeover in Kabul and the tension between Nato and Russia are just two manifestations of economic and geographic tensions. In this situation, Pakistan does need a strong peg and PM Khan and President Jinping have finalised a number of agreements to bring the two countries even closer.

The joint statement inevitably spoke about the significance of CPEC, with Pakistan in particular promising China it would guarantee security for Chinese personnel, something that must be a real concern for China following the recent security situation in Balochistan. The Gwadar Port has been noted as the central emphasis of the CPEC project and Pakistan has promised to carry out the development and other work required to ensure that this moves along the intended lines. Keeping in mind the Afghan situation, a three-state dialogue, involving the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan and China has been agreed on to continue efforts for peace in the region. In addition to this, Pakistan promised China support at all diplomatic levels, including its efforts to gain back territories over which it lays a claim, such as Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, and several others.

Pakistan's visit to China with a strong mission leading it along the way was significant, given that much of the Western world decided to boycott the Beijing Olympics by not sending any official presence at the event. The US and UK led this effort, followed by several other countries. Pakistan's strong presence was therefore also a gesture of solidarity with China. More details about the outcomes of the visit will take some time to appear, but for now at least we hope that the second phase of CPEC will be on a fast track once again, as PM Khan put it.