As well as signing a raft of energy, trade and investment agreements, the Chinese president will inaugurate Balochistan’s Gwadar port, part of the 3,000 km long strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which could radically alter the regional dynamics of trade, development and politics in the region...

However, the economic corridor is unlikely to be successful unless there is peace in Gwadar. The district is embroiled in conflicts with militant organisations, like the Balochistan Liberation Front, who are highly suspicious of foreign-funded investments. These groups have not only vehemently opposed the development projects but have even attacked Chinese engineers working on the port.

It is the reason given by experts for the change of route to pass mostly through Punjab, thereby avoiding some of the country’s most strife-torn areas in both Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces much to the chagrin of local legislators.

At the same time China has concerns about the growing influence of radical religious groups in Pakistan in its own Xinjiang province, which has a significant majority of Muslim Uighurs.

For now the Pakistan military plans to train over 12,000 security personnel and form a “special division” to provide security to Chinese working on the economic corridor. Some 8,000 security personnel have already been set out to protect over 8,100 Chinese working on 210 projects across Pakistan...