Pakistan is reported to have proposed to the US to build a port for mining, "adjacent to China's Gwadar Port"

Relations between the United States and Pakistan have warmed up due to the "India-Pakistan conflict" in May. After the first official bilateral interaction between the leaders of the two countries last week, British media reported that a team of Pakistani advisors had proposed to the US to build and operate a port in the Arabian Sea, which could provide Washington with a foothold in one of the world's most sensitive regions.

On October 4 local time, the Financial Times reported that two individuals, said to be civilian advisors to the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, revealed that Pakistan plans to attract American investors to develop a port in the fishing city of Pasni, making it a hub for accessing Pakistan's key mineral resources.

According to these advisors, the proposed port project will be accompanied by a new railway to transport minerals from inland areas of Pakistan, focusing on copper and antimony used in batteries, flame retardants, and missiles. Last year, China had banned the export of antimony and other dual-use items to the US.

The Financial Times quoted the content of the plan blueprint, stating that the port is expected to cost up to $1.2 billion, and its financing model will be a combination of funding from the federal government of Pakistan and U.S. development financing.

Notably, Pasni's strategic location is extremely sensitive, only 100 miles (about 160 kilometers) away from Iran, and even closer to China's invested Gwadar Port, just about 70 miles (about 112 kilometers) away.

The report stated that supporters of the plan believe that given Pakistan needs to balance its complex diplomatic relations with China, the US, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, the Pasni Port plan will help Pakistan hedge risks on the global stage.

According to the report, the plan blueprint mentioned, "Pasni's proximity to Iran and Central Asia will allow the US to expand trade and security options... cooperation in Pasni will counterbalance (counterbalance) the impact of Gwadar Port... and expand the US influence in the Arabian Sea and Central Asia."

The blueprint also mentioned, "China's investment in Gwadar Port under the Belt and Road Initiative has raised so-called concerns about the dual-use of facilities." For years, the US has frequently hyped up the so-called military facilities or military bases built by China in important ports such as Gwadar, deliberately exaggerating the so-called expansion of China's overseas military influence. Both China and Pakistan have repeatedly denied this.

This blueprint also added that the Pasni Port plan does not include "direct garrisons". The aforementioned advisors explained that this means the port will not be used as a U.S. military facility.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845153807015236/

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