By Muhammad Saeed
Once Mother Teresa said that “to keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.” In 21st century, China has emerged as a strong economy which has surpassed Japan and achieved the status of second loftier economy of the world after America. In order to keep its huge economy lubricated China requires copious amounts of black crude. Thus, China has the great thirst for hydrocarbon resources especially it has need for Middle Eastern oil. Regarding the energy security, China is very curious because the dominance of America around Middle East. Along with it, The US has strong hold on main sea lanes of communications of Indian and Pacific Oceans which creates dilemma for Beijing. Especially, the Strait of Malacca is under strong influence of the US, which is very significant choke point in Indo-Pacific Sea lane of communication, from where almost 80% of crude oil transported to Chinese ports. American presence around the strait is creating serious dilemma for China which is called “The Malacca Dilemma”.
China wants to decrease its reliance on American goodwill. At least China has ambitions to bypass the dominance of America and its regional allies on main sea lanes of communication. Different geo-strategists around the globe are arguing with the notion that in 21st century another “Great Game” is going to set between China and America which is beyond Central Asia. And Gwadar is the epicenter of this new great game. The United States in under the slogan of “Asia Pivot Policy” using its Asian allies like India and Japan, to conduct a policy of offshore balancing against China, which itself is trying to break out of its perceived encirclement by improving relations with Pakistan. All contemporary geo-strategists and experts are agreed upon the notion that the Indian Ocean as one of the ‘central theatre of conflict and competition’. As Robert D. Kaplan denotes in his book Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and The Future of American Power that Mediterranean was the center of global power politics in 20th century while Indian Ocean is the center of global power politics in 21st century.
In order to maintain uninterrupted flow of oil, China is establishing different ports and harbors from South China Sea to Gulf of Aden and Persian Gulf. In this regards, Gwader is a pivot point which links Chinese land based One Belt One Road (OBOR) and Maritime Silk Road (MSR). Geographically, no one can deny the pivotal importance of Gwadar. No doubt it is the epicenter and midpoint of world’s energy politics. If we align the Spykman’s Rim land theory with geostrategic importance of Gwadar, we can argue that whoever will control the rimland of Halford’s Eurasian Heartland, will ultimately grasp the world. “Who controls the Rimland rules Eurasia; Who rules Eurasia controls the destinies of the world.” And this could be achieved through domination of the global commons and power projection from the sea onto the continent and the Heartland.
The very word ‘Gwadar’ is a combination of the two Baluchi words Gwat (wind) and Dar (gateway). Yet, from a Spykman-inspired perspective, it does not only constitute a gateway for wind, but a gateway for any Eurasian power to the excessive oil-producing regions of the Eurasian land mass and the overland routes to the heartland. Considering the importance of all the glory of Gwadar, China is willing to invest around 46 billion dollars on ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) ‘a centerpiece of Beijing’s ambitions to open new trade and transport routes across Asia and challenge the U.S. as the dominant regional power’.
The main obstacle in the way of all this glory is the law and order situation of Baluchistan. In all this great game, many stakeholders are involved. Countering the growing Chinese influence in Pakistan, different stakeholders engaged with different tactics. For example: Backing of rival ports in Chabahar, Iran, and the Omani port of Duqm. Having looked at the Gwadar Port project in Baluchistan through the lenses of seemingly timeless geo-strategic theories, it has become clear that it holds a supreme geographical location on the Eurasian Rimland, which cannot be ignored by any power eager to control ‘the destinies of the world’. Gwadar, it has become clear, is much more than just a port. It is seen as a symbol for a much wider geopolitical struggle between different regional and extra-regional powers.
*The author is an Islamabad based freelance columnist.