China's Colonial Ambitions? Beijing To Send Troops To Pakistan To Protect Its Economic Interests

China is reportedly planning to send its troops to Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of its hugely ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) so as to protect its interest in these countries, a report has claimed.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is reportedly "working at a war scale" to establish military outposts in Afghanistan and Pakistan for smoother operations and expansion of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), reported news agency ANI, quoting top diplomatic sources.

China's Belt and Road Initiative, reminiscent of the Silk Road, is Beijing's ambitious infrastructure project that would stretch from East Asia to Europe. Though Beijing claims it aims at making leaps in trade and growth for economies in Asia and beyond, there are concerns that China is laying a debt trap for borrowing governments. Experts say China has both geopolitical and economic motivations behind the initiative and the BRI project is nothing but "colonialism with Chinese characteristics."

That said, the BRI is struggling to fulfill China's hopes in Pakistan, following which Beijing decided to step up measures. Recently, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has offered to support the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan.

Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong has held meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto and Chief of Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa. In the meeting, Rong had reportedly demanded the creation of outposts for Chinese forces for the security of Chinese projects and the safety of its citizens.

Beijing has earlier too sought security outposts in Balochistan and Gwadar International Airport, which China plans to use for military purposes. The Pakistan military leadership had then requested some time to consider the demands with the country also facing pressure from the United States for the bases.

However, it won't be a smooth ride for Beijing as they expect stiff resistance from local people with regard to stationing its troops there. Recently, reports claimed public protest was boiling against Islamabad's plans to lease out areas in the mineral-rich area of Gilgit Baltistan to Chinese companies.

There have also been attacks inside Pakistan, which saw Chinese citizens being targeted, including the bomb blast in Quetta in April 2021.

According to the ANI report, the Pakistanis may not be comfortable with a heavy Chinese military presence in the country as they fear the country is already in a debt-trap-like situation and that Chinese tactics could leave it no better than a colony.

The situation is no different in Afghanistan too, where both Pakistan and China expected unquestioned cooperation from Taliban. However, that has not been the case. As for China, the situation is not rosy as the Taliban and Haqqanis show no interest in handing over Uyghur insurgents to the Chinese authorities.