China-Pak Honeymoon Over? Beijing Refuses to Expand Cooperation on Energy, Water, Climate: Reports – News18

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) seems to have hit a roadblock with Beijing refusing to expand cooperation over energy, water and climate change. According to a report in Pakistan’s The Express Tribune, Islamabad gave up its opposition to setting up a new imported coal-fired power plant in Gwadar and also agreed to a number of Chinese demands to address Beijing’s concerns.

Quoting the signed minutes of the 11th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the CPEC, the report said: “The details showed that China did not agree to a host of measures that Pakistan had proposed in the areas of energy, water management, climate change and tourism in Giglit-Baltistan (G-B), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) (a reference to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) and the coastal areas.”

The report cited the 9-month gap between the JCC meeting and the signing of minutes as an indicator of the difference of opinion between Beijing and Islamabad.

According to the report, China also did not agree to Pakistan’s proposal for inclusion of Water Resources Management and Climate Change and Urban Infrastructure Development in the CPEC framework. The proposal for setting up a new joint working group on water resources management and climate change was also rejected by China.

Pakistan had proposed joint exploration, development, and marketing of metallic minerals and had sought Chinese technology, but the final minutes were silent on this issue as well.

According to sources, after its proximity to Afghanistan, China is keen to explore newer avenues. The Chinese are also said to be upset over the security lapses in CPEC and Karachi area.

The CPEC is a $62-billion corridor being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with China’s assistance. India is opposed to the CPEC as it passes through the PoK, giving China access to the Arabian Sea through the Gwadar port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

China has so far played a significant role in helping cash-strapped Pakistan by rolling over more than $5 billion in loans. The CPEC, which was initially a USD 46 billion project, later on, expanded to USD 62 billion.

The key agreement for the CPEC projects was agreed in 2013 but it was formally launched when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan in 2015.

The Belt and Road Initiative was launched by the Chinese President Xi in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. The BRI is seen as an attempt by China to further its influence abroad with infrastructure projects funded by Chinese investments all over the world.

The initiative also led to allegations of smaller countries reeling under mounting Chinese debt after Sri Lanka gave its Hambantota port in a debt swap to China in 2017 on a 99-year lease.