As the inaugural flight landed on the newly paved runway in Gwadar, Pakistan’s government celebrated it as a milestone towards “progress and prosperity.” The recently inaugurated airport, now the largest in the nation, located in the troubled Balochistan province, was described by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif as a “symbol of cooperation between Pakistan and China.” However, the circumstances surrounding the event, which took place on January 20, painted a different picture. The city of Gwadar was placed under strict security measures, and while numerous high-ranking officials from the Pakistani government and military attended, their Chinese counterparts were conspicuously absent, despite China covering the $230 million cost of the airport.
Gwadar, featuring a Chinese-funded airport, a deepwater port, and a proposed economic zone, has been promoted as a centerpiece of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This initiative, which began in 2015 as a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, involves China investing approximately $62 billion in infrastructure projects across Pakistan, including airports, highways, railways, ports, and power plants. However, after a tumultuous decade, doubts are emerging regarding the future of CPEC. In Balochistan, where the Chinese have built the airport and taken control of the deepwater port, a significant security crisis has arisen, heightening tensions between the two nations.
Unfulfilled promises that Gwadar would become “Pakistan’s Dubai” have fueled local resentment towards China, with residents accusing it of transforming the city into a high-security zone, complete with tall fences, designated areas for Chinese workers, security checkpoints, and a heavy police and military presence. One controversial project in Gwadar is a donkey slaughterhouse, which is not yet operational but plans to import up to a million donkeys from Africa for product harvesting, including an ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Access to the sea has also been restricted around Gwadar’s deepwater port, which sends 90% of its profits to its Chinese operator. Local fishermen report struggling to survive as they are no longer allowed to fish freely and have faced raids on their boats by security forces. “We have lost the entire sea,” lamented 70-year-old fisherman Dad Karim. “When we go fishing, it feels like we are going there as thieves and hiding ourselves. The sea or ocean does not belong to the fishermen anymore – it belongs to the Chinese.”
CPEC has also drawn the ire of various terrorist organizations in Pakistan, including the Islamic State and the Pakistan Taliban. The regional separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has accused China of exploiting the region.
