Pakistan Tries to Arm-Twist China Over Gwadar Port. The Plan Backfires

Nations, like people, often reflect behavioural patterns. They have a reputation, depict habitual traits, and usually find the essence of their identity in their nature. So is the case with Pakistan - a country which never fails to find itself on the wrong side of history for its conduct - with friends and foes alike. The latest in its series of antics, the nation, mired in a worrisome concoction of terrorism, poverty, inflation, rigged elections, civil unrest, political instability, and economic misery tried to arm-twist its "all-weather ally" China. As one would guess correctly - it didn't end well, with Islamabad getting snubbed, yet again. PAKISTAN'S 'TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT' TACTICS WITH CHINA A high-level meeting was organised recently between senior government and military officials of Pakistan and China. Deliberations and negotiations over the future use of the strategic port of Gwadar in Balochistan was being discussed in accordance with the so-called 'China-Pakistan Economic Corridor'. At this point, Pakistan, which perhaps momentarily forgot which side of the negotiating table its was sitting on, decided to flex its muscle. Islamabad reportedly told Beijing that if it wants a military base in Gwadar, Pakistan might permit it only if Beijing is willing to arm it with a second-strike nuclear capability - catering to its age-old obsession to match New Delhi, which achieved it on its own. This tone, border-lining a threat, did not go down well with Beijing, which squarely rejected the outrageous demand and decided to put future talks on hold indefinitely over Islamabad's baffling audacity. A breakdown of diplomatic and military talks with China, even momentarily, does not bode well for Pakistan as cash-strapped Islamabad depends very heavily on economic bail-out packages from Beijing. China has also, for long, been a saviour for Pakistan's military, supplying it with a majority of its arms and ammunition - everything from bullets to fighter jets. Pakistan's Army, which has a history of interfering in decisions taken by its civilian government, is currently facing a crisis with large-scale anger and protests across the country over rigged elections and imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, cannot afford to upset Beijing amidst the current situation on ground. According to a report in Drop Site News, the Pak-China relationship is apparently "in free fall over public and private disputes over security concerns, as well as China's demand to build a military base inside Pakistan". Earlier this year, the news website reported on advanced talks over setting up a Chinese military