In a report published by the United States Department of Defence says, China is using Pakistan as a “military logistics facilities”.
The annual report that was submitted to Congress on ‘Military and Security Developments involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC) 2020‘ must also be viewed through India’s national security concern.
Defence Department’s report published last week, inform that the PRC is seeking to establish a robust overseas logistics and basing infrastructure to allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at greater distances.
“Beyond its current base in Djibouti, the PRC is very likely already considering and planning for additional overseas military logistics facilities to support naval, air and ground forces. The PRC has likely considered locations for PLA military logistics facilities in Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola and Tajikistan,” read the report.
The report has stated that the true motive behind China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) projects in Pakistan is to build pipelines and port construction to solve the problem of the Strait of Malacca.
“In support of its national strategy, the PRC pursues a range of goals through OBOR to include strengthening its territorial integrity, increasing its energy security and expanding its international influence. Given the Party views the PRC’s security and development interests as complementary, the PRC leverages OBOR to invest in projects along China’s western and southern periphery to improve stability and diminish threats along its borders. Similarly, OBOR projects associated with pipelines and port construction in Pakistan intend to decrease China’s reliance on transporting energy resources through strategic chokepoints, such as the Strait of Malacca,” the department said.
“The PRC uses multilateral forums and international organizations to generate new opportunities to expand its influence, strengthen its political influence, promotes strategic messaging that portrays it as a responsible global actor, advance its development interests and limit outside interference in and criticism of its initiatives,” the report said.
“Towards these ends, the PRC has embraced multilateral organizations suchas Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as forums and initiatives such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, the “17+1″ initiative between China and 17 Central and Eastern European countries, and the Belt and Road Forum,” the report read.