The way things are going, China will probably replace the U.S. as the world's sole super power. Most Pakistanis have a soft corner for China, as it's the only country that has remained a firm ally, unlike the Saudis and the U.A.E, which are now firmly in India's camp. The West, however, is wary of China, now that it has virtually taken over a Sri Lankan port, after that country failed to pay off its debts to China. Certain other countries are in a similar situation, and China could well have bases in some African countries in the near future.
Which brings me to the humongous debt Pakistan owes to Chinese companies. A few months back, parts of Gwadar were fenced off and there were reports of half a million apartments or houses being built in that city to house Chinese workers. It seems that China is convinced that Pakistan will not be able to pay off the 45 billion dollars it is projected to invest in Pakistan. Maybe it is thinking of being given control of the port of Gwadar (as happened with Sri Lanka's Hambantota Port).
The government should be very careful in this matter. Even though the Chinese are our only allies, we should maintain control of Gwadar, while at the same time using it for export of Chinese goods and import of oil for China. Failure to do so would be catastrophic.
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