Context
China has expressed an interest in establishing military presence in Pakistan. Beijing wants to set up military bases in FATA or in the Federally Administered Northern areas FANA, which shares its borders with the Chinese Xinjiang province. According to reports, officials from both sides have met to discuss the possibility of a Chinese military presence in South Asia. The developments come after the Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) carried out terrorist attacks in Xinjiang.
The group was believed to be receiving training from Waziristan. China wishes to contain threats from Muslim extremists inside its own territory. Several high level meetings between Pakistan’s president Asif Zardari and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and the Chinese premier have taken place to discuss issues of defense and regional security.
