BEIJING: China on Tuesday denied as “unnecessary” speculation reports thatit was planning to build a military base at Jiwani in Pakistan’sBalochistan province close to the strategic Chabahar port, which is beingjointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan.
According to reports, Pakistan may allow China to build the military basein Jiwani which is also close the Gwadar port being developed by Beijing.
The Global Times quoted a Washington Times report that China is in talkswith Pakistan to build its second overseas military base as part of a pushfor greater maritime capabilities along strategic sea routes.
“I am not aware of what you mentioned,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesmanLu Kang told the media when asked to comment on the report.
The media in China and abroad said that Pakistan offered the key locationto China as a retaliation to US President Donald Trump’s New Year Daycriticism of Islamabad for not cracking down on terrorist safe havens inthe country.
The Chinese media has been speculating that Trump’s efforts to step uppressure on Pakistan may move it closer to Islamabad as Beijing is involvedin a number of projects in the country under the USD 50 billionChina-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“As you know building of the CPEC is an important part of the Belt and RoadInitiative (BRI),” Lu said.
“China and Pakistan are also making efforts to build the CPEC which is inthe common interests of the countries along the route. I don?t think it isnecessary for the outside world to make too much guesses in this regard,”he said.
Chinese analysts said the Jiwani base was not necessary for China atpresent as it already has Gwadar.
Lin Minwang, a professor at Fudan University’s Centre for South AsianStudies told Global Times that “both Beijing and Islamabad have the abilityto build a joint naval and air facility in Pakistan, but it is unnecessaryat this time.”
But he said it could be a backup plan for the Indo- Pacific strategy of theUS and its allies, he told the daily.
Lin believes if the US and its allies push their Indo- Pacific strategy tothe extreme, China will surely carry out a plan with Pakistan to ensure thesecurity of sea routes.