pak china energy

7/27/2019 Pak China Energy

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Pakistan being an all-weather friend of China can prove to be an energy corridor for the

latter.

Presently China is importing majority of its oil through the Indian Ocean and the Malacca

Strait. In the event of conflict or a terrorist attack, the present routes for Chinese oil

imports could be disrupted, choking Beijings energy supply, especially at the vulnerable

Malacca Straits. This is what Chinese President Hu Jintao referred to as Chinas

Malacca Dilemmathe fear that Chinas dependence on the flow of energy resources

through narrow transport sea lanes is a weakness that adversaries can exploit. In addition

to the vulnerable Malacca Strait, China has territorial disputes with Japan, Malaysia,

Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brunei in the South China Sea. This further

accentuates concerns about Chinas energy security.

China has been trying to mitigate its Malacca Dilemma, by adopting a two pronged

strategy: firstly, China is in a process of reinforcing its naval presence in the Indian

Ocean. China has come up with its first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, and its in the process

of being fully operationalized. The aircraft carrier will bolster Chinas aim of a real blue

water navy. Secondly, China has been in a process of developing overland trade and

energy corridors through Central Asia. Former Chinese President Hu Jintao opened a new

pipeline from Turkmenistan to China in December 2009. This 1,800 Km (1,100 miles)

pipeline runs through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to Xinjiang in Western China. The

pipeline is expected to deliver 40 billion cubic metres gas per year to China by 2013.

China is in the process of diversifying its energy routes. In this context, Pakistan could

come forward and play a major role in becoming a part of Chinas energy security plans.

There are some encouraging signs that Pakistan and China are moving towards closer

relationship for a sustained and reliable mechanism for energy security. In 2001, China

agreed to help finance the construction of Gwadar Port. The port was inaugurated in

2008. The port is deep enough to harbour big ships and massive oil tankers. If Gwadar

Port is linked to Xinjiang province of China, overland, with railways and oil pipelines,

China can benefit massively because of shorter routes.


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make available an overland energy passage linking the Middle East to Xinjiang. That will

slash transport distance by 12,000 miles. Overall transportation cost would go down by

25 percent. For Pakistan, Gwadar will generate an expected sum of $60 billion, spread

over 20 years.

Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline (TAPI) is a mega project of anestimated cost of $ 7.6 billion. This pipeline is expected to start operating by 2015.

Though India is against Chinas inclusion in the project, Pakistan can make an effort to

convince Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to extend the pipeline to China for a

comprehensive regional integration.

Conclusion

Pakistan desires to be a trade and energy corridor for China. China is Pakistans all

weather ally, the two nations have moved in tandem on a path of multi-dimensional

strategic partnership, since the early 1960s. This affiliation has witnessed increased

impetus in recent years. The two countries have expanded their ties further and farther

than the usual defense related cooperation.

Due to security situation in Pakistan, especially because of the Afghan problem and the

Global War on Terror, in which Pakistan has been the biggest sufferer, China has notbeen forthcoming to meet Pakistani expectations of becoming a part of greater trade and

energy corridor. However, Chinas sustained help and involvement in the infrastructural

ventures in Pakistan related to the trade and energy corridors are commendable. Chinas

assurance for the construction of Phase II of Gwadar port, new international airport at

Gwadar and up-gradation of the Karakoram Highway are some of the signs indicating

Chinas interest in this regard. Most of the security related concerns would be watered

down after the departure of occupation forces from Afghanistan. Thereafter, trade-transit

related projects would become more viable. If the aforementioned projects materialize,

the emergent trade and energy corridors would have a deep impact on regional

integration and would assist in crafting a network of regional interdependencies,

eventually leading towards resolution of conflicts in our region.

pak china energy

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