Terror in Pak poses challenge to China-Pak corridor:think-tank

Terrorism and "internal rebels" specially from Pakistan's restive Balochistan province pose a challenge to the proposed USD 46-billion economic corridor, a state-run think-tank said, days after President Xi Jinping unveiled China's biggest overseas investment.
"Terrorism and the Balochistan rebels are posing threats to the construction of the economic corridor. Beijing hopes Islamabad could adopt effective measures to stabilise the domestic situation," Liu Zongyi, an assistant researcher at the Shanghai Institute of International Studies said today.
"It also hopes that the bilateral cooperation could help create favourable conditions for Pakistan to eradicate terrorism and internal rebels," he said, referring to the host of militant groups in Pakistan.

China wants to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan to jointly safeguard Afghanistan's stability which is vital to the smooth implementation of 'One Belt and One Road' project and the stability of Xinjiang where the East Turkistan Islamic Movement is spearheading a separatist movement, he said.
"With enormous funds and a large number of projects flooding Pakistan, all Pakistani provinces have been striving for competing for Chinese projects. Chinese companies should ensure their investment is legitimate and transparent and make the locals real beneficiaries of the projects. They should actively communicate with the local people, political parties, tribes and media," he said.

"The China-Pakistan friendship is built on a solid foundation and needs to be consolidated through the younger generations, he said, adding that influenced by Western media, some young Pakistanis have little understanding about China.

"Therefore, both sides in the future should pay attention to enhancing the people-to-people exchange among the younger generations," he said.
On Monday, China cemented its "all-weather ties" with Pakistan by agreeing to build a strategic USD 46-billion economic corridor as part of 51 deals signed, expanding the communist giant's influence in the region.
The ambitious 3,000 km-long China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was unveiled by Xi during his historic maiden state visit to Islamabad.

A total of 51 agreements were signed in different fields, including infrastructure projects, energy generation, agriculture, education, telecommunications and research.