China on Tuesday counselled the “outside world” not to speculate on Beijing’s reported intent to open a naval base at Gwadar, the starting point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“I am not aware of what you mentioned,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said, when asked to comment on reports that that China would establish a naval base at Gwadar, to supplement its already existing Indian Ocean facility at Djibouti.

Beijing’s denial

“As you know the building of CPEC is an important part of the Belt and Road initiative and China and the Pakistan are also making efforts to build the CPEC which is in the common interest of the countries along the route,” Mr. Lu observed. He added: “So, I don’t need think it is necessary for the outside world to make too much guesses in this regard.”

In Pakistan, the Pakistan Today daily said that Beijing and Islamabad have no plans to build a Chinese naval base in coastal areas of Pakistan, and the matter has never been discussed between the two countries.

It quoted a senior official at the Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that neither has China made any such request nor is there any such plan being discussed between the two sides.

“It looks that such rumours are being spread just to sabotage the successful completion of early harvest projects under the game-changing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). But Islamabad and Beijing are well aware of the enemy designs, and we will not let anyone sabotage the project’s success,” the official was quoted as saying.

Special security division

The official mentioned that the security of the Chinese nationals working on the CPEC projects, as well as of the Chinese shipments going into the Arabian Sea, would solely be a responsibility of Pakistani law enforcement agencies, and, for the same purpose, a designated division — Strategic Security Division —had been established.

“Pakistan Navy is well equipped to handle the security of Chinese shipments...” the source said, adding that this was the reason that the capacity-building process of Pakistan Navy was being given a priority.