Media report suggests China has been holding secret talks with Baloch militants

Representation pic

China has been quietly holding talks with Baloch militants in Pakistan's restive Baluchistan province for over five years to protect its $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative, according to a media report.

The 3,000-km-long CPEC is aimed at connecting China and Pakistan with rail, road, pipelines and optical cable fiber network. It connects China's Xinjiang province with Pakistan's Gwadar port, providing access to China to the Arabian Sea. The project, when completed, would enable China to pump its oil supplies from the Middle East through pipelines to Xinjiang cutting considerable distance for Chinese ships to travel to China.

"China had been in direct contact with militants in the south-western province, where many of the scheme's most important projects are located," three officials were quoted as saying by the Financial Times.

Talks to establish OBOR alternative
India is in talks with Australia, the United States and Japan about setting up a regional infrastructure scheme as an alternative to China's multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative, according to a media report.

3,000 km
Length of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

$60bn
Cost of the CPEC initiative

10
Total no. of workers killed by gunmen near Gwadar port last year