Pakistan vows full security for projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in a recent meeting between the country’s top military officer and his Chinese counterpart.
Pakistan's military spokesperson Lt. General Asim Saleem Bajwa assured China that the CPEC projects are under strict security amid worries that Chinese laborers who are working on the $46-billion project are at risk, the South China Morning Post reported.
"For all CPEC-related projects, the first responder will be the army itself," Bajwa said during Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif's two-day stay in Beijing.
Upon its completion, the Economic Corridor will provide China with easier access to the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. The nation currently uses the Strait of Malacca located along Malaysia and Indonesia to access the said regions.
CPEC
According to CRIEnglish, the CPEC is a 2,400-kilometer-long economic corridor that is set to connect neighboring regions and is currently being built in Pakistan.
As part of the major Chinese project known as the "Belt and Road," the CPEC is expected to generate a significant number of jobs for Pakistanis, particularly in the underdeveloped parts of the country.
"It is a project which brings a lot of hope and light for bringing prosperity to Pakistan," Bajwa stated as quoted by China.org. "Therefore, every Pakistani has an obligation to participate in the development of CPEC."
Currently, China has deployed about 12,000 to 13,000 engineers to work on the project and is expected to send about 16,000 or 17,000 more.
Security Threat
During the state visit, Sharif met with China's Premier Li Keqiang as well as top Chinese military officers like Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Fan Changlong and People's Liberation Army Ground Force Commander General Li Zuocheng.
On Monday, Sharif told Li that the Pakistani army made sure that the Chinese engineers working on the CPEC are safe and out of harm's way.
At the time, Bajwa said the Pakistani army "deliberately looked into" the security concerns, referring to Islamist militant groups whom they consider as the biggest threat to the project.
"The Pakistani army is dedicated to the safety of the CPEC," the spokesperson stated.
According to Bajwa, Pakistan already sent 15,000 troops in nine battalions to secure the area and protect the Chinese workers.
"There is an integrated mechanism of all the state and provincial security operators which already exists," he stated. "Additionally, a proper security division has been assembled, which consists of about 15,000 people."