China, which has to take a call within the next week to change its stand on proscribing Masood Azhar, is now said to be worried that such an action will make the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through Pakistan adminsitered Kashmir a target of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
Talking about China, it must be highlighted that in August, a United Nations human rights panel reported that up to one million Uighur Muslims were forced into grounds that resemble massive internment camps in Xinjiang – the autonomous region in western China home to approximately 10 million Uighur Muslims.
Why Xinjiang?
China’s economic miracle has been predicated upon access to energy and commodities. Xinjiang is a critical region that needs to fuel China’s economic machine and it is also strategically located as a supply route. Xinjiang contains over 20% of China’s coal, natural gas and oil resources, Xinjiang has the highest concentration of fossil fuel reserves of any region in the country. The oil fields at Karamay is one of the largest in China and the region has extensive deposits of coal, silver, copper, lead, nitrates, gold and zinc. Xinjiang is China’s largest natural-gas producing area and serves as an important trade and pipeline route into the Central Asian region and beyond. Xinjiang is also part of China’s quest to diversify its oil resources as the region is also a key transit route. Xinjiang is the only region in China that neighbours the Central Asian republics, Central Asian oil (and a large proportion of Russian oil) has to enter the Chinese pipeline network from Xinjiang
For strategic, economic, commercial, demographic and political reasons Xinjiang represents an existential issue for China, it is important to have control on this part.
At one hand China is interested in saving Azhar Masood and exercise its VETO in doing so, because if not done so then such an action will make the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through Pakistan adminsitered Kashmir a target of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), on another hand China is oppressing the Xinjiang muslims to have its own benefits!
It is not surprising at all that Pakistan can speak volumes on Kashmir and can see their atrocities and oppression but when it comes to Ughyr Muslims of China, then you will find the deafening silence and not even a single word of condemnation from their side!
Reason may be, China – a friend of Pakistan.
Meanwhile in India, Nationalism is dancing to the dictated rhythm, oppressing the students, innocents, targetting the Muslim community in particular is now nationalism and anyone raising their voice or even questioning the government on farmer’s suicide, development, poverty, corruption, or even air strikes is anti-nationalism in spirit!
Recently, Indian cricket team wore military caps as a solidarity for Indian military with t – shirts sponsored by “oppo” – China’s company.
Perhaps, all this has revealed somehow, somewhere a little bit that how weird is all this man made boundaries and shadowy lines are in reality and how every nation has its own selfish benefits involved in it, even if it means violating and oppressing the many!
P.S – Have taken facts on Xinjiang from Adnan Khan’s article on Xinjiang’s geopolitics.