CPEC 2.0 will be won or lost on keeping China’s investors safe — SkimNews
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- CPEC shifts focus from infrastructure to industry, agriculture, mining, technology, and green development, increasing the geographic and operational complexity of security needs
- Pakistan has established dedicated military, police, and specialized units to protect Chinese personnel and projects, but repeated attacks show physical security alone is insufficient
- Chinese nationals were killed in multiple attacks: five in March 2024 near Besham on the Dasu hydropower project and two in October 2024 near Karachi airport, highlighting persistent risks
- Balochistan remains a high-threat region due to separatist groups like the Baloch Liberation Army, which target Chinese interests as symbols of state-backed development
- Gwadar’s strategic value is undermined by local grievances over water, electricity, jobs, and fishing rights, showing that security must address underlying political and economic conditions
- Qazi Zaheer Ahmad, former CPEC project director, emphasizes that investor confidence will depend on intelligence sharing, movement protocols, and coordination between federal and provincial institutions
Why it matters: Midsize Chinese firms assessing CPEC 2.0 investments will weigh insurance costs, employee safety, and business continuity against returns—making security a direct factor in capital allocation. If Pakistan fails to integrate intelligence, local governance, and economic inclusion into protection strategies, private-sector participation will remain limited despite political commitment to the corridor.
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