Sino-Pak are not friends... they are BEST FRIENDS!

Silly_Billy · December 6, 2005, 1:44pm

Re: Sino-Pak are not friends… they are BEST FRIENDS!

NameInUse:

Does anyone know if the Baloch nationals accepted Punjabi domination of their coastline as well? I recall hearing somewhere that eleven Chinese engineers were killed in a bombing. And if I remember right, some French defense engineers were killed as well at some other time. I think I heard some pipelines were blown up too. Anyway…
One very interesting aspect of all this has been the way the Centeral Aisan countries have been so cool to this “most strategic trade route”. People are generally turned off by killings and bombings, particularly when there is a substantial and credible threat. However, it seems that beyond the Baloch nationalist threat, most Centeral Asian countries would rather not use a transit route through Pakistan. Even Afgahnistan, with whom Pakistan has “strategic depth” prefers transit through Iran. Something about being closer to the Persian Gulf and being able to transport goods safely. Even pipelines do not seem to be safe. A lot of Centeral Asian countris are a bit pissed at the seeming Pakistani unwillingness to control radicals going into nearby countries.
There is some utility that China will get from this, militarily. It can position listening posts check up on the US navy operating in the Persian Gulf. It can also protect it shipping lanes from the Gulf. Maybe throw a bone at the Uighurs in Xian Jiang too.
In terms of Pakistan, it probably learned a lesson from the blockade of Karachi. Even this is not an large scale option. A port 700km away from Karachi will buy some time, but Pakistan still would not be able to reasonably bar the INS from a blockade.
Sitting back and enjoying the transit fees requires having some transit.

Most of that is your personal opinions, and not really based on facts. If you had cared to go to Gwadur sometime (where some of us have been), you will see the place is flooded with Gulf, Central Asian, Chinese, Japanese, and of course American investors.