Pakistan’s establishment of a specialized guard unit for Chinese citizens marks a pivotal concession to Beijing, as terror threats intensify against CPEC ventures. The Diplomat reports Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s January 2026 declaration amid a security crisis.
TTP and BLA have hammered Chinese projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, culminating in the lethal January 31 BLA operation that decimated Pakistani forces through synchronized explosives and gunfire.
Frustrated by Islamabad’s lapses, China demands deployment rights for its security apparatus, including potential troop basing in Gwadar. Pakistan’s partial acquiescence via the new force prioritizes foreign workers, sparking equity debates.
China’s post-2021 strategy leverages Afghanistan’s Taliban control and U.S. disengagement to assert hegemony—yet invites blowback. Anti-China hostility unites disparate militants, from Pakistani insurgents to Afghan and Tajik actors, imperiling personnel region-wide.
Islamabad’s maneuvers reflect acute anxiety over investment flight. Beijing, capitalizing on Pakistan’s woes since late 2025, extracts concessions that solidify its strategic enclave.
This favoritism risks alienating the populace, amplifying grievances that fuel extremism. As attacks proliferate, the China-Pakistan pact strains under security burdens, with sovereignty increasingly at stake.
The unfolding drama signals a new era of asymmetrical alliances, where donor nations dictate defenses, reshaping regional balances with unpredictable consequences.