Like Myanmar, China Allegedly Steals Natural Resources from Balochistan

• China has been accused of robbing Balochistan of its natural resources, leaving locals impoverished
• Using its BRI and CPEC as bait, Chinese companies are said to be making huge profits from the Pakistan province
• The ongoing exploitation in Balochistan is likened to the illegal mining in the Myanmar borders, among evils by Chinese nationals

China has again come under scrutiny as the Asian giant is accused of robbing Balochistan of its natural resources through its Belt and Road Initiative.

Balochistan, one of the four provinces and the largest province of Pakistan, is located in the southwestern region of the country.

China is said to be stealing from the treasure trove of Balochistan through China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and making it impoverished with a per capita GDP under USD 1,000.

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According to The Print citing Islam Khabar, natural resources and profits are being excavated by Chinese companies in the province.

Balochistan, in turn, gets little of the profits by way of employment or monetary benefits, with experts liking the situation to Myanmar where China is illegally mining in the border areas.

China is playing a major role in the local economy. Notably, the Chinese company which mines gold, silver and copper in the Balochistan province has claimed that it made profits of around USD 75 million in 2021 (Invest Pakistan,14 January 2022), despite disruption to its operations caused by Covid.

A majority of profits will be sent back to China. Pakistan and China signed a deal worth USD 350 million for the development of the mine, initially a 10-year lease to Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd (MCC), a subsidiary of China Metallurgical Group Corporation.

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China mounts pressure on Nepal with its BRI

Chinese government was earlier accused of coercing Nepal, a landlocked South Asian country, into joining its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The allegation was contained in a fresh report by an online magazine Epardafas which claimed the Asian giant is luring Nepal with eye-catching beneficiaries into the initiative.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in nearly 150 countries and international organizations.

Source: Legit.ng