China has deep strategic interests in Pakistan: US report

An official US report indicates that China has deep strategic interests in Pakistan_ which will persuade both countries to stay engaged despite possible irritants. In its 2020 report to Congress on  Military and Security Develop­ments in China_ the US Department of Defence suggests that Pakistan is among a handful of countries where Beijing seeks to enhance both  bilateral and multilateral engagements. The report  published earlier this week notes that Pakistan is among the countries where China  has likely considered locations for military logistics facilities. The Pentagon states that Pakistan is also among the countries where Beijing has developed a series of  campaigns_ outlining operational military activities to achieve its strategic objectives. As part of these campaigns_ China is seeking  an increase in bilateral and multilateral engagement with nations like Russia_ Pakistan_ and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) that  can improve its ability to organise and manage combined operations that integrate foreign forces_ the report adds. The report also claims that China s Strategic Support Force (SSF)  runs tracking_ telemetry_ and command stations in Namibia_ Pakistan_ and Argentina . The Pentagon notes that China s One Belt_ One Road (OBOR) projects in Pakistan are associated with pipelines and port construction that intend to decrease China s reliance on transporting energy resources through strategic choke points_ such as the Strait of Malacca. The Pentagon reports to Congress that China s counter-terrorism cooperation with Tajikistan is likely tied to the August 2016 creation of a quadrilateral counterterrorism coordination mechanism between Afghanistan_ China_ Pakistan and Tajikistan. Under this arrangement_ all four countries agreed to jointly strengthen border security against China s defined  three evils_ terrorism_ separatism_ and religious extremism. -Source: dawn