Karachi attack: China consulate attack leaves four dead
Gunmen have killed at least four people in an attack on the Chinese consulate in the Pakistani port city of Karachi. Gunshots were heard at about 09:30 local time (04:30 GMT) outside the consulate in the upmarket Clifton area. Police shot dead three attackers.
Separatist militants who oppose Chinese investment projects in western Pakistan say they carried out the attack. [...] All the staff inside the consulate are safe, China said. The government condemned the attack on its mission and the foreign ministry in Beijing called for extra measures to protect Chinese citizens in Pakistan. "At the same time we mourn the deaths of the Pakistani police and think of their families at this time," a spokesman said.
[...] A separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, said it had carried out the attack. It is one of a number of separatist groups operating in the province, which has seen a long-running nationalist insurgency. "We have been seeing the Chinese as an oppressor, along with Pakistani forces," a spokesman for the group told the AFP news agency.
Over the years, construction projects and Chinese workers in Balochistan have been repeatedly targeted by militants. Most recently, a suicide bombing in August injured a number of Chinese engineers. So far, none of the incidents has been large enough in scale to really threaten the viability of Chinese investment in the country. But this is one of the most prominent attacks to date.
Gunmen attack Chinese consulate in Karachi
Baloch said the fighters were members of the Fidayeen Majeed Brigade, a new force raised by the group to carry out suicide attacks against Pakistani security forces and Chinese targets.
In August, the BLA launched a suicide attack targeting a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dalbandin, wounding at least six people.
Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and least populated province, will see a number of new roads and a port constructed under the $56bn China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an infrastructure and energy corridor that sees southwestern China linked to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan.
takyon: Suicide bomber strikes Pakistan market hours after foiled assault on Chinese consulate in Karachi
Related: China's Xi Jinping Negotiates $46bn Superhighway to Pakistan
Chinese President Xi Jinping Pledges $124 Billion for One Belt, One Road Initiative
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China intends to invest $46 billion in infrastructure links to Pakistan:
The focus of spending is on building a China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - a network of roads, railway and pipelines between the long-time allies. They will run some 3,000km (1,865 miles) from Gwadar in Pakistan to China's western Xinjiang region.
The projects will give China direct access to the Indian Ocean and beyond. This marks a major advance in China's plans to boost its economic influence in Central and South Asia, correspondents say, and far exceeds US spending in Pakistan.
[...] Some $15.5bn worth of coal, wind, solar and hydro energy projects will come online by 2017 and add 10,400 megawatts of energy to Pakistan's national grid, according to officials. A $44m optical fibre cable between the two countries is also due to be built.
The Great Game lives. Different players, same game. Equally large implications. Diplomacy game geeks, awake! Who are the players, and what's the play?
China's President has pledged $124 billion for a new "Silk Road" connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe:
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday urged major multilateral institutions to join his new Belt and Road Initiative, stressing the importance of rejecting protectionism in seeking global economic growth.
Addressing other world leaders at a summit on the initiative in Beijing, Xi said it was necessary to coordinate policies with the development goals of institutions including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), ASEAN, African Union and the European Union.
Xi pledged $124 billion on Sunday for his new Silk Road which aims to bolster China's global leadership ambitions by expanding links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond, as U.S. President Donald Trump promotes "America First".
No one is totally sure. At the most basic level, One Belt, One Road (OBOR) is a collection of interlinking trade deals and infrastructure projects throughout Eurasia and the Pacific, but the definition of what exactly qualifies as an OBOR project or which countries are even involved in the initiative is incredibly fuzzy. "It means everything and it means nothing at the same time," said Christopher Balding, a professor of economics at Peking University. [...] According to Chinese state media, some $1 trillion has already been invested in OBOR, with another several trillion due to be invested over the next decade.
Fuzzier story at CNN. More at Wikipedia.
Related: China Plans World's Longest Tunnel
China to Spend $182 Billion on Network Infrastructure
China Invests $45 Billion in Megacity Project
China Finances and Builds $13 Billion Railway in Kenya
China Plans $503 Billion Investment in High-Speed Rail by 2020
China's 'Belt and Road' Plan in Pakistan Takes a Military Turn
When President Trump started the new year by suspending billions of dollars of security aid to Pakistan, one theory was that it would scare the Pakistani military into cooperating better with its American allies.
The reality was that Pakistan already had a replacement sponsor lined up.
Just two weeks later, the Pakistani Air Force and Chinese officials were putting the final touches on a secret proposal to expand Pakistan's building of Chinese military jets, weaponry and other hardware. The confidential plan, reviewed by The New York Times, would also deepen the cooperation between China and Pakistan in space, a frontier the Pentagon recently said Beijing was trying to militarize after decades of playing catch-up.
All those military projects were designated as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, a $1 trillion chain of infrastructure development programs stretching across some 70 countries, built and financed by Beijing.
Chinese officials have repeatedly said the Belt and Road is purely an economic project with peaceful intent. But with its plan for Pakistan, China is for the first time explicitly tying a Belt and Road proposal to its military ambitions — and confirming the concerns of a host of nations who suspect the infrastructure initiative is really about helping China project armed might.
Related: China's Xi Jinping Negotiates $46bn Superhighway to Pakistan
China Plans $503 Billion Investment in High-Speed Rail by 2020
Chinese President Xi Jinping Pledges $124 Billion for One Belt, One Road Initiative
Gunmen Attack Chinese Consulate in Pakistan
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday November 24 2018, @01:40AM (13 children)
Likely funded by American tax dollars and doled out to corrupt ISI agents through American intelligence.
From America's perspective, Pakistan is worse than Turkey in the sense that we're throwing money at them both to carry out our wishes, even though they're rogue nations who behave as unpredictably as rabid dogs and would be better off nuked rather than reasoned with.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @01:52AM (4 children)
Pakistan is a mess. Soon after its creation, they lost East Pakistan (Bangladesh), because they are assholes. Why are they assholes? It's the Punjabi Muslims dominating the show, balluchis, pashtuns, hazaras, shias, all can go eat shit.
The legacy of Ali Jinnah.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday November 24 2018, @02:09AM (3 children)
For good reason. Even the Bengalis are too subhuman for even Pakistanis and Indians to tolerate. And that's setting a pretty low bar already.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @02:41AM (1 child)
Eastern Bengalis are low-caste Hindu converts to Islam. Just like Goan and Kerala Christians, traitors.
But then, if I was a low-caste Hindu, I would take up Chrisiianity/Islam/jain/Buddhism in a heartbeat. Fuck brahamans.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @12:55PM
Only to be hacked to death by your neighbours leaving your wife to be beaten and rapes and your kids to be sold?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @06:06PM
Fuck are you stupid. Please kill yourself.
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Saturday November 24 2018, @02:47AM (6 children)
Turkey is the more modern of the two and much less of a threat to the U.S.
Pakistan harbored Osama bin Laden. U.S. harbors Fethullah Gulen (for now).
Turkey's literacy rate is about 95%. Pakistan's is closer to 60%.
Turkey is a NATO member. Pakistan has an ever-closer relationship with China.
Pakistan has nukes. We've stationed our nukes in Turkey.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @03:03AM (1 child)
The Pakistanis and the Chinese despise each other; the only reason they are hanging together is India and the fact that both Pakistan and China have no other friends.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday November 24 2018, @03:36AM
Only reasons?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday November 24 2018, @03:20AM (3 children)
The only thing worse than an illiterate dickhead is a literate dickhead. And orchestrating failed coups against literate dickheads only makes them more literate. Erdogan was able to solidify his grasp on Turkey and move to transform it from a secular nation to an Islamic nation. Now he holds lots more of bargaining chips and can play both sides against each other.
But what is the message here? The message is to extradite Gulen back to Turkey, then nuke Turkey.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday November 24 2018, @03:33AM
Pakistan's largest party is trying to make the nation more secular. Turkey has a better chance of doing so.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @09:40AM
You got that right. Perhaps a little holiday reflection, or is this just another stopped-clock moment?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @04:16PM
A stupid dickhead is the worst of all.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @04:12PM
More stupidity is stupid. STFU already.
(Score: 2) by CZB on Saturday November 24 2018, @01:43AM (5 children)
Pakistan seems to be (to an outside reader of news articles) the worst of the stable countries. It will be interesting to see if China learns that maybe its not a good idea to support and invest in corrupt nations with unstable populations.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @01:48AM
Three men dressed in black walked into a hospital and headed towards the front desk. Even a cursory glance would tell one that these men were dangerous. One of the men pulls a large amount of money out of his pocket and hands it to the nurse at the front desk. The man holding the money says, while wearing an evil grin, "You know..." A disgusting smile appears on the nurse's face, and she then accepts the money. All three men travel to a particular room in the hospital...
Soon after, a woman walks up to the front desk to see one of her family members. The woman tells the lady at the front desk who she wishes to visit, but the receptionist simply gasps. "That room was Marked By 'P'! You can't go in there now!" the nurse screams.
Elsewhere, the three men were now naked in a certain room. That room had a male patient who was unconscious due to drugs the doctors gave him at the behest of the men. The three of them were all raping the patient in various different ways. One man was was raping the patient's ass. Another man had slit open the man's belly and was jabbing his dick inside it. The last man was shoving his genitals in the patient's face repeatedly. All three of them would shout "Utilize like this!" at random intervals.
In the very same room, there were men who looked to be employees from a cleaning company. These employees were testing upright vacuums to see which one was most effective at removing dirt and grime from a rug placed in the room. The cleaning company employees would discuss the technical details of the vacuums they were testing amongst themselves, all the while ignoring the men raping the patient as if they simply did not exist.
Finally, the three men were done raping the patient. "Garbage has met its use..." one of them said. Before they departed, they shoved medical knives and needles into the patient's asshole.
After the men left, the sign on the outside of the door to the room they were in instantly changed from a number to the word "USED". The woman who wanted to visit a family member walked up to the room, read the sign, and looked absolutely disgusted. She then walked away, as though there was nothing of value in that room any longer.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by takyon on Saturday November 24 2018, @01:56AM (3 children)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93Pakistan_Economic_Corridor [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karakoram_Highway [wikipedia.org]
China borders Pakistan, which can't be said for a lot of the places China is investing in, such as parts of Africa.
China and Pakistan have been close allies since the 70s.
Pakistani instability can only run so deep since they have a relatively powerful military and nuclear weapons. It may be "too big to fail" and countries will intervene to keep things from spiraling out of control.
There's a lot of money to be made with CPEC. Pakistan will experience rapid modernization in many parts of the country, making it less like Afghanistan. This could result in less violence.
China will forge forward even if a few Chinese citizens have to die. But if there is continued terrorism, it's likely to disproportionately affect Pakistanis. Well, China has its own problems at "home" in Xinjiang.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Arik on Saturday November 24 2018, @03:29AM (1 child)
Does the US limit overseas investments to neighboring countries?
I mean what you're saying is true, but one wonders why you selected that as being important enough to mention.
"China and Pakistan have been close allies since the 70s."
True. And the fundamental reason for the alliance is as stable as it is regrettable - both nations share the same primary enemy. India.
India has what we might call *deep* even *existential* conflicts with both of them. India will never rest until it re-absorbs Pakistan (which is sort of the Indian homeland, at least in the view of many Indians,) and the borders between India and China, despite these being two of the most ancient civilizations in the world in a sense, have yet to really be set.
"Pakistani instability can only run so deep since they have a relatively powerful military and nuclear weapons. It may be "too big to fail" and countries will intervene to keep things from spiraling out of control."
But interventions intended to prevent 'x' can easily cause 'x' instead.
"Pakistan will experience rapid modernization in many parts of the country, making it less like Afghanistan. This could result in less violence."
So far, however, it's had mostly the opposite effect. Less like Afghanistan, perhaps, but more like Saudi Arabia. Not really a win.
"China will forge forward even if a few Chinese citizens have to die."
And the PRC is marching with firm resolve right back into their own recent dark ages.
"But if there is continued terrorism, it's likely to disproportionately affect Pakistanis. Well, China has its own problems at "home" in Xinjiang."
Mhhmm. This is the worst case outcome for them, why are they so doggedly insisting on making it happen?
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @12:58PM
For as long as china continues to kill muslims there will be no peace between them
Given that muslims have stolen the land from india ages ago there will be no peace either then until they are all gone
(Score: 3, Interesting) by CZB on Saturday November 24 2018, @05:35PM
It seems necessary and inevitable for China to build an economic corridor through Pakistan, but I wonder what level of "local problems" it can sustain.
https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/india/articles/20181120.aspx [strategypage.com]
(Score: 0, Offtopic) by NPC-131073 on Saturday November 24 2018, @03:58AM (5 children)
Orange man good. Killary was behind it. Her emails!
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday November 24 2018, @04:22AM (4 children)
What is the purpose of your account? Like RDT, you're not actually different enough from what you're satirizing for it to be good satire. It's just extraneous noise at this point. You're not pointed enough to be trolling either. So what gives?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @09:43AM (1 child)
He may just be bad at what he's trying to do (whatever that turns out to be).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @11:24AM
Or paid for doing it, e.g. a Russian troll.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 24 2018, @07:17PM (1 child)
You are replying to someone who thinks NPC is a good insult. This person thinks our dislike of Trump is irrational. Nuff said.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday November 25 2018, @12:38AM
It hardly seems worth the effort they're putting in, though. I can think of half a dozen better ways to, as I'm sure NPC-$BIGNUM puts it, "trigger the libs." This is about as effective as hitting yourself to damage your opponent.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...