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Why India fears Pakistan’s CPEC, Swedish think tank explains in first global report on China-funded corridor

05:23 PM | 6 Feb, 2017
Why India fears Pakistan’s CPEC, Swedish think tank explains in first global report on China-funded corridor
ISLAMABAD - A report by one of the most influential global think tanks has said that India is very much concerned about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) due to the dispute of Kashmir, fearing it also bring rise to China’s hegemony.

Swedish think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) sought to dig into the Indian hostility towards the China-funded CPEC and inferred that fear of internationalisation of the Kashmir dispute and the growing influence of China in the Indian Ocean are the principal irritants for India.

There is considerable concern within India that China can no longer be neutral on Kashmir, which it has been since 1963, and that its economic and security interests are growing in stake.

India also does not a mediating role for China in these disputes since the border incident in 1962. However, it remains to be seen whether CPEC will contribute to a resolution of this dispute or further fan the flames, the report says.

Titled as “Silk Road Economic Belt - considering security implications and the EU-China cooperation prospects”, the report argues that India does not approve of a role for China to mediate in these disputes.



Sipri report is the first one that elaborately touches upon the topic of Indian concerns on CPEC-a subsidiary of ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative and discussed the mega project’s implications on security mechanics in the region.

According to the report, India has serious reservations against the CPEC and strictly opposes it. India fears that China will ultimately pose a threat by possessing a clear edge, though a toehold in the beginning, in the Indian Ocean with direct access to the Arabian Sea. India considers that the toehold will culminate into a military presence at some stage, the report says.

Besides, India is also concerned that China will leverage Gwadar port to monitor Indian naval activity and possibly exploit it for an expansion of China’s own naval presence.



“After all, if Gwadar grows to be the immense port China envisions it to become, China will need to take on a bigger direct or indirect security role,” it says.

Unlike India, unconcerned Afghanistan is open to all regional initiatives that may reinvigorate its ailing economy, whether that is by way of CPEC or India-led efforts to connect with the Afghan economy through the Chabahar Port in Iran.

Likewise, Iran has voiced strong interest in the Belt and Road Initiative, the report marks.

However, the report remarked that Afghanistan can benefit from CPEC only if Kabul-Islamabad relations improve.

Meantime, the authors identified three areas where the CPEC has the potential to activate three fault lines in South Asian security.

The first is between China and India themselves. The second is between China-Pakistan on the one side and India on the other. The third is between China and India and its partners - the US, Japan and, to a lesser degree, Vietnam.

The report also highlights that CPEC may lead to further polarization in the region despite the fact that the bloc rivalry between the US-India and China-Pakistan exists even before the CPEC.



China’s reliance on CPEC means that it needs a stable and amicable Pakistan, underlines the report.

Once completed, “The Silk Road Economic Belt initiative may become one of the cornerstones of Asian economic growth and integration, and eventually of closer political and security cooperation among states, but the pathway to this scenario is long and fraught with obstacles,” the report spells out.

Dawood Rehman
Dawood Rehman

The writer is a member of the staff.

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Today's currency exchange rates in Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal rates on Sept 23, 2023

KARACHI - Following are the foreign currency exchange rates for US Dollar, Saudi Riyal, UK Pound Sterling, U.A.E. Dirham, European Euro, and other foreign currencies in Pakistan open market on September 23, 2023 (Saturday).

Source: Forex Association of Pakistan. (last update 09:00 AM)

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar ‎USD 292 295.15
Euro EUR 317 320
UK Pound Sterling GBP 372.5 376
U.A.E Dirham AED 81.5 82.3
Saudi Riyal SAR 78.55 79.3
Australian Dollar AUD 198 200
Bahrain Dinar BHD 781.13 789.13
Canadian Dollar CAD 220 222.2
China Yuan CNY 40.22 40.62
Danish Krone DKK 42.35 42.75
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 37.93 38.28
Indian Rupee INR 3.57 3.68
Japanese Yen JPY 1.92 1.99
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 951.03 960.03
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 62.62 63.22
New Zealand Dollar NZD 174.23 176.23
Norwegians Krone NOK 27.87 28.17
Omani Riyal OMR 762.72 770.72
Qatari Riyal ‎QAR 80.69 81.39
Singapore Dollar SGD 217 219
Swedish Korona SEK 26.62 26.92
Swiss Franc CHF 325.12 327.62
Thai Bhat THB 8.31 8.46

Gold Rate in Pakistan Today – September 23, 2023

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

KARACHI – The price of a single tola of 24-karat gold in Pakistan is Rs 215,800 on Saturday. The price of 10 grams of 24k gold was recorded at Rs185,020.

Likewise, 10 grams of 22k gold were being traded for Rs170,068 while a single tola of 22-karat gold was being sold at Rs198,365.

Note: The gold rate in Pakistan is fluctuating according to the international market so the price is never been fixed. The below rates are provided by local gold markets and Sarafa Markets of different cities.

Today Gold Price in Pakistan - 23 September 2023

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Karachi PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Islamabad PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Peshawar PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Quetta PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Sialkot PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Attock PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Gujranwala PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Jehlum PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Multan PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Bahawalpur PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Gujrat PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Nawabshah PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Chakwal PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Hyderabad PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Nowshehra PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Sargodha PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Faisalabad PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565
Mirpur PKR 215,800 PKR 2,565

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