Pakistan, which shares an all-weather friendship with China, has found itself at the receiving end of stern warnings from Beijing over delays in commitments under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
During the seventh round of the Pakistan–China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue in Beijing, Chinese officials flagged several failures and delays in key CPEC projects from Pakistan's end.
The officials pointed out that Gwadar Port, Gwadar Airport and critical road connectivity — remain largely non-functional despite years of investment, as per News18 report.
In light of this, Beijing made it clear that further financial assistance to Pakistan would depend on it delivering on earlier commitments and finishing CPEC projects.
The Chinese team expressed frustration over sustained infrastructure delays and the absence of substantial returns even 11 years into the flagship Belt and Road Initiative project.
They further highlighted that the M-8 motorway connecting Gwadar to Sukkur is still incomplete, and added that unsafe and inadequate road infrastructure across Balochistan remains a serious drawback to development.
Gwadar Sea Port, seen as the backbone of the CPEC, is yet to achieve full operational status, reports cite officials as saying.
Other significant lags include Gwadar International Airport's failure to garner significant passenger or cargo traffic. China viewed these shortcomings as a direct hit to the economic rationale of the corridor.
The gaps in security, rise in militant attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and repeated assaults on Chinese nationals were topics of concern for Chinese officials.
They stressed that Pakistan's inability to offer a secure operating environment has halted implementation and delayed returns on Chinese investments.
Additionally, a joint security framework for CPEC projects and Chinese citizens was discussed extensively, with Pakistan presenting a formal plan.
China informed that a high-level Chinese delegation will soon visit Pakistan to assess the on-ground situation. According to reports, the Chinese officials also offered security assistance to Pakistan.
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