China In Gwadar

Pakistan is on Pakistan’s Arabian Sea Coast, just 72 kilometers from Iran. It is near the mouth of the Persian Gulf and is 400 Km from the Strait of Hormuz. The Pakistani government identified.

Gwadar as a port site way back in the 1960s, but it was only in 2001-02 that concrete steps on the proposal were taken. It was the arrival of US troop in Afghanistan – literally at China’s doorstep – in the autumn of 2001 that spurred Beijing in into action. China agreed to participate in funding, construction and development of a deep-sea port and naval base in Gwadar and in March 2002 Chinese premier Wu Bangguo laid the foundation for the port. Their engineers are engaged in the port’s design and construction.

China insists its interest in Gwadar is purely commercial. No doubt it is hoping that the port will transform the economy of its landlocked Xinjiang Province.

Pakistan is eyeing huge economic and strategic gains, with Gwadar poised to become key-shipping hub at the mouth of a strategic waterway. A port at Gwadar provides Pakistan with strategic depth vis-a-vis India. Gwadar is 725 Km to the west of Karachi port, making it that much less vulnerable than Karachi to an Indian naval blockade.