Chinese premier inaugurates Pakistan airport in volatile region

ISLAMABAD: China’s Premier Li Qiang took part in a ceremony during his Pakistan visit to inaugurate a Beijing-funded airport, located in a volatile region where Chinese interests are routinely targeted by separatists.

While Li did not travel to Balochistan, he “virtually” inaugurated Gwadar Airport at a ceremony held Monday in the capital Islamabad, some 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) away.

The airport is next to Gwadar Port, the cornerstone project of the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that connects China’s Xinjiang region to Pakistan’s coast.

“China will continue to work with Pakistan to uphold the principle of planning together, building together and benefitting together,“ Li said at the ceremony alongside Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

An aviation official told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that the airport is yet to open for flights.

“The facility is now ready for operations, but it is not yet operational,“ he told AFP.

Li is on a four-day visit to Pakistan that began on Monday to hold bilateral talks.

He will also take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit that Islamabad is hosting on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Beijing has been one of Islamabad’s most reliable foreign partners, readily providing financial assistance to bail out its often struggling neighbour.

But ties are strained by several militant attacks that have targeted CPEC projects and killed more than 20 Chinese nationals in several attacks in the past three years.

Earlier this month, two Chinese nationals were killed in a deadly attack on a convoy of engineers in Karachi.

Baloch militants claimed the attack, accusing Pakistan of handing over the region’s wealth to outsiders.

“I want to assure you that I will work with you very closely... to promote peace and security for the people of China in Pakistan,“ Pakistan’s Sharif said.