Pakistan’s Gwadar Becomes A Critical Link In China’s Digital Silk Road
The Digital Silk Road is an ever more important part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, aimed at digitally connecting China with BRI countries around the world. Gwadar will soon become a critical link in this digital network.
Gwadar has played a major role in BRI from the very beginning. The city with its vital port lies at the southernmost end of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a network of roads and railways connecting the two countries. CPEC is often described by China as “The flagship of BRI”.
China and Pakistan are finalizing a fiber optic cable connecting Xinjiang Province with Gwadar. The first section of this cable, running from the Chinese border to Pakistan’s Rawalpindi, is operational since 2018. Construction of the second section, from Rawalpindi to Gwadar, started last month. The project is overseen by the Pakistan Army and build by China’s Huawei Technologies [China builds Digital Silk Road in Pakistan to Africa and Europe].
At Gwadar, the cable will connect to the submarine Pakistan East Africa Connecting Europe (PEACE) cable. This 15.000 km network is constructed by a consortium headed by China’s Hengtong Group. PEACE will run from Gwadar to South Africa, Kenya, the Seychelles, Somalia, Djibouti (where China has a large military base), to Egypt and finally to France. The cable is expected to be operational by the end of this year. Besides connecting several BRI countries, the cable also lessens China dependence on cables going through Russia for its internet traffic with Europe.
In other Gwadar news: On January 28, China’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong, visited all “major” CPEC projects in the city, including the New Gwadar International Airport Project, the China-Pak Friendship Hospital, China-Pak Technical and Vocational Institute, the Gwadar Eastbay Expressway Project, the Gwadar Free Zone and Gwadar Port. The ambassador also launched a Green Employment Scheme, part of a larger Green & Clean Gwadar Movement, which aims to make Gwadar a green city, attractive for both beekeepers and ecotourists.
Nong Rong called Gwadar a “shining pearl for the region” and thanked the Pakistan Army for “safeguarding the CPEC projects” under the controversial Gwadar Safe City project. For local security, China donated 40 motorcycles, 10 laptops and 10 security cabinets for check-posts to the Gwadar police force [China to help boost capability of Gwadar police].
And finally, the Chinese consul general at Karachi, Li Bijian, who visited Gwadar with the ambassador, officially opened an embroidery learning center. This learning center is part of the Gwadar Women Development Employment Center, which is managed by the Gwadar Women Development Organization and the China Overseas Ports Holding Company (COPHC), the Chinese outfit that runs Gwadar Port. Li said: “The objective of establishing the embroidery center is to make skilled women economically stable.” BRI in Gwadar is only just beginning…
Tycho de Feijter
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