China China’s Gwadar and India’s Chahbahar: an analysis of Sino-India geo-strategic and economic competition
China’s Gwadar and India’s Chahbahar: an analysis of Sino-India geo-strategic and economic competition
Zahid Ali Khan
Introduction
Since 9/11, there is a growing Indo-Iranian naval cooperation in the IndianOcean and the Arabian Sea. Pakistan and China are directly affected bythis cooperation. In this regard, Pakistan and China are actively collaborating on the development of Gwadar port, since it has an immense
significance for China to fulfill its economic and strategic objectives. China‟s interests in Gwadar Port are to strengthen its relationship with Pakistan, diversifyand secure its crude oil import routes, and to extend its presence in the IndianOcean and the Arabian Sea. On the other hand, India seeks to address its need tosecure energy routes, and to counter the growing Chinese influence in theArabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean. For this purpose, India broughtIran into an economic and strategic alliance. India spent huge amount on theIranian Port of Chahbahar. Iran is already working on Chahbahar port in Sistan-Baluchistan, which will be easily accessible for Indian imports and exportsthrough roads and rail links to Afghanistan and Central Asia. The development ofGwadar by China, and Chahbahar by India, resulted not only in open rivalry andcompetition between the two countries in the region, but also raised contentionfor the economic and natural resources of Central Asia.The growing competition between China and India has an adverse impact onthe Pak-Iran relations. The two ports, Pakistani Port Gwader, and the Iranian PortChahbahar is the main cause of their geo-strategic and economic competition.China is mainly concerned over the growing Indian expansion in the IndianOcean and the Arabian Sea. Moreover, the cordiality and warmth in Indo-USrelations since the conclusion of US-India civilian nuclear cooperation on one hand, and cooperation between India and Iran in Afghanistan and Central Asia on the other hand, became a matter of grave concern for China‟s long
-standing strategic and economic objectives in the region. India has dual objectives, toencircle Pakistan by establishing good relations with Iran and Afghanistan, and tocounterweight China. It is the only power which can compete with Indianhegemony and supremacy in the region. Pakistan cannot outperform India alone,as Indian navy is many more times greater than Pakistan
Dr. Zahid Ali Khan is Associate Professor, Department of International Relations,University of Balochistan, Quetta.
Strategic Studies
For this purpose, she needs active Chinese cooperation in the Port of Gwadar, since it is the only port, which can serve the best interests of both Chinaand Pakistan in the region. The port will, therefore, enable China to keep a strict
watch on India‟s growing influence in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and
Persian Gulf. Hence, the possibility of any future economic and militarycollaboration between India and the US in the region can be effectively dealtwith. Another geographical advantage of the port is that it will reduce thedistance for energy imports from Persian Gulf to China. Gwadar also holds ageo-strategic significance for China because of its proximity with the sea lane between the Middle East and China. It is vital for oil trade. As a gateway to theIndian Ocean, Gwadar will provide Beijing with a listening base from where theChinese may exert surveillance on hyper-strategic sea links. The militaryactivities of the Indian and American navies in the region can also be closelywatched. Gwadar port will also provide a strong base for Chinese ships andsubmarines. Since Gwadar Port can fulfill its political, security and commercialobjectives vis a vis India, China has spent a huge amount on its construction.Similarly, India has also spent money on the Iranian Port Chabahar which provides India an easy access to Central Asia through Afghanistan. The Port ofChahbahar is located about 70 kilometers west of Gwadar. Direct access to theArabian Sea would give India a strategic advantage, especially, from a keylocation of its navy. The national interests of both China and Pakistan convergeand become compatible under the prevalent circumstances.Moreover, Pak-China friendship is a great challenge for the Indian geo-strategic and economic objectives. India is trying its best to sabotage and undo it.
Gwadar‟s competition for trade and transport will come from Chahbahar, the
newIndian-financed port in Iran. India‟s ultimate objective is to bypass Pakistan, and
also cooperate with Iran on a highway system that leads from Chahbahar port
into Afghanistan and Central Asia. Chahbahar‟s geo-strategic location plays an important role in connecting India to Afghanistan and Central Asia both militarily and economically. India sees Central Asia, Iran, and Afghanistan situated at the crossroads of overland trading routes as a potential consumer market for Indian products. Similarly, Iran
wants to get India‟s cost effective source of high technology inputs.
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Against this background, the paper discusses the paramount significance ofthe two Ports Gwadar and Chabahar to China and India respectively. The paper mainly focuses on the divergence and conflicting interests of China and India inthe Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Central Asia.The paper, therefore, describes cooperation between Iran and India to create a North-South Corridor, and, more specifically, a trade between Central Asia and China’s
Gwadar and India’s Chahbahar: an
analysis of Sino-India geo-strategic and economic competition
the Iranian port of Chahbahar. An attempt is made to examine the implication of Sino-Indian rivalry on the bilateral friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran.
Significance of Gwadar Port in Pak-China Strategic and Trade Relations
Gwadar is a deep-sea port situated at Gwadar in the Balochistan province ofPakistan at the apex of the Arabian Sea, about 460 km west of Karachi, 75 kmeast of Pakistan’s border with Iran and 400 km from the Strait of Harmoz.
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Since1783, it was under the suzerainty of the Government of Oman. Gwadar officially became part of Pakistan on 8 December, 1958. At the time, Gwadar was a smalland underdeveloped fishing village with a few thousands population. TheGovernment of Pakistan integrated Gwadar into Balochistan province on 1 July,1977. In 1993, the Government formally proposed a plan to make Gwadar amajor commercial city with a deep-sea port and to connect it with the other partsof the country through the construction of roads and railway networks. On 22ndMarch, 2002, the Government of Pakistan started working on the constructionof Gwadar Port.Gwadar Port was constructed in two phases with the technical and financial assistance of China. The construction of Gwadar Port started in March 2002 afterthe Chinese decided to provide $198 million of $ 248 million required for thefirst phase of the port. The first Phase involved the construction of threemultipurpose ship berths. While, the development work on Phase II was formally estimated $ 600 million, including the construction of nine additional berths, one bulk cargo terminal, one grain terminal, and two oil terminals. It was officially inaugurated by Sardar Nabil Ahmed Khan Gabol, the Federal Minister of Ports and Shipping, on December 21st, 2008.
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China has acknowledged the strategic significance of Gwadar no less than that of the Karakoram Highway. This will further strengthen the relations between Pakistan and China. China is also interested to turn Gwadar into anenergy-transport hub by building an oil pipeline from Gwadar into China’sProvince of Xinjiang. The proposed pipeline will carry crude oilfrom Arab and African states. It is expected that the Gwadar Port would generate billions of dollars in revenues and create at least two million jobs for theuneducated youth of the country.
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Gwadar provides China a transit terminal for crude-oil imports from Iran and
Africa to China‟s Xinjiang province. Gwadar’s strategic advantage to China is
due to its close proximity with the Strait of Hormuz. The presence of the US forces in the region poses not only a threat to Chinese navy but, also, to its …Please Read the rest here:
https://www.academia.edu/6938073/China_Chinas_Gwadar_and_Indias_Chahbahar_an_analysis_of_Sino-India_geo-strategic_and_economic_competition
