It’s much more than just a port apparently
In the 21st century, China has emerged as a strong economy. It has surpassed Japan and achieved the status of the world’s second-largest economy after America
Mother Teresa once said, “To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.” In the 21st century, China has emerged as a strong economy. It has surpassed Japan and achieved the status of the world’s second-largest economy after America. In order to keep its huge economy lubricated China requires copious amounts of black crude. Thus, China has the great thirst for hydrocarbon resources especially Middle Eastern oil. Regarding energy security, China is very curious because of the dominance of America around the Middle East. Along with it, the US has a strong hold on the main sea lanes of communication of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This, of course, creates a dilemma for Beijing. The Strait of Malacca is under strong influence of the US, which is a very significant choke point in the Indo-Pacific Sea lane of communication, from where almost 80pc of crude oil transported to Chinese ports. American presence around the strait is creating serious dilemma for China which is called “The Malacca Dilemma”.
China wants to decrease its reliance on American goodwill. At least it has ambitions to bypass the dominance of America and its regional allies on main sea lanes of communication. Different geo-strategists around the globe are arguing with the notion that in the 21st century another “Great Game” is going to be setup between China and America, which is beyond Central Asia. And Gwadar is the epicenter of this new great game. The United States is under the slogan of “Asia Pivot Policy” using its Asian allies like India and Japan to conduct a policy of offshore balancing against China, which itself is trying to break out of its perceived encirclement by improving relations with Pakistan. All contemporary geo-strategists and experts are agreed upon the notion that the Indian Ocean as one of the ‘central theatres of conflict and competition’. As Robert D. Kaplan denotes in his book Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and The Future of American Powerthat Mediterranean was the center of global power politics in the 20thcentury while Indian Ocean is the center of global power politics in the 21stcentury.
In order to maintain uninterrupted flow of oil, China is establishing different ports and harbors from the South China Sea to the Gulf of Aden and Persian Gulf. In this regard, Gwader is the pivot point which links the Chinese land based One Belt One Road (OBOR) and Maritime Silk Road (MSR). Geographically, no one can deny the pivotal importance of Gwadar. No doubt it is the epicenter and midpoint of the world’s energy politics. If we align the Spykman’s Rim land theory with geostrategic importance of Gwadar, we can argue that whoever will control the rimland of Halford’s Eurasian Heartland will ultimately grasp the world. “Who controls the Rimland rules Eurasia; who rules Eurasia controls the destinies of the world.” And this could be achieved through domination of the global commons and power projection from the sea onto the continent and the heartland.
The very word ‘Gwadar’ is a combination of the two Baluchi words Gwat (wind) and Dar (gateway). Yet, from a Spykman-inspired perspective, it does not only constitute a gateway for wind, but a gateway for any Eurasian power to the excessive oil-producing regions of the Eurasian land mass and the overland routes to the heartland. Considering the importance of all the glory of Gwadar, China is willing to invest around $46 billion on ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’ a centerpiece of Beijing’s ambitions to open new trade and transport routes across Asia and challenge the US as the dominant regional power’.
The main obstacle in the way of all this glory is the law and order situation of Baluchistan. In all this great game, many stakeholders are involved
The main obstacle in the way of all this glory is the law and order situation of Baluchistan. In all this great game, many stakeholders are involved. Countering the growing Chinese influence in Pakistan, different stakeholders have engaged in different tactics. For example: Backing of rival ports in Chabahar, Iran, and the Omani port of Duqm. Possible UAE backing of the BLA to prevent Gwadar from becoming a considerable commercial threat to Dubai. BLA was also largely fueled by Indian RAW. Militant Jundallah (soldiers of god) organisation, which is based in the Iranian part of Baluchistan. Having looked at the Gwadar Port project in Baluchistan through the lens of seemingly timeless geo-strategic theories, it has become clear that it holds a supreme geographical location on the Eurasian Rimland, which cannot be ignored by any power eager to control ‘the destinies of the world’. Gwadar, it has become clear, is much more than just a port. It is seen as a symbol for a much wider geopolitical struggle between different regional and extra-regional powers.
