"China-Pakistan Highway: Rapid Deployment Potential?" Topic

Using the term "rapid" loosely, mind you.

Dan
PS. Bi-coastal plans for access and control, it seems:
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Hmmm…isn't there a dissident Muslim population in Kashgar?

If so, this might turn into a Chinese Highway to Hell.

What 15mm figures do you recommend for Kashgar dissidents?

Or do you think they'll most actual confrontations and rely mostly on sabotage and IEDs? I think the latter has the least gaming potential.

Dan

India is going to be absolutely thrilled about this…

For a scenario..what about Indian backed rebels trying to stop the road from being built?

Now THAT would be interesting!

I wonder why they're bypassing Karachi completely. Looks like they end the highway just shy of Iran.

Dan

Thinking if things get serious, it would be vulnerable to india interdicting around Lahore or Abbottabad.

Damon.

I still don't understand the end of the line being all the way to Gwadar. What's over there, other than Baluchi tribes?

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Dan

Never mind … I withdraw my last question:

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dreamcitygwadar.wordpress.com

A "Master Plan" alright!

"China is planning to build a oil refinery at Gwadar as well. the pipeline from refinery will connect to Xingiang in china,. The potential oil pipeline would bring china and Pakistan many economic benefits."
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Well, call me paranoid but, doesn't China already have some sort of infrastructure to transport and refine oil from their own western provinces, without having to reach out as far as the Arabian Sea, so close to the Strait of Hormuz?

I'm sure that China would require a defensive naval presence of some sort at Gwadar, just like they plan doing in SW Africa and other key places:

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Well, Djibouti is ok with giving them access to the Red Sea:

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Dan

Would think that the bridges would just be a big target for the Indian Air Force, and I'd guess the bridges are crossing some pretty hefty gorges.

So very true.

Pictures I've been looking at today show some incredibly scary precipices!

Dan

Djibouti's only play is strategic position. China wants in to the MidEast and moreso Africa.

Everyone is getting their tables set for the next round of resource games.

Or building a tinder box….

Corridor of Opportunity = Invasion Route, if desired.

Since China is a major importer of oil, they're working on more direct routes to obtain it, overland.

Apparently, they've built, and/or are building pipelines to transport that through Pakistan.

Apparently, their military/trading partnership with Pakistan is quite good, and the latter will be getting numerous new submarines as a counter to India's military purchases/investments.

China isn't going to spend $46 USD-47 billion to build an invasion roadway – don't forget that roads work 2-ways and India has a huge military.

It is a commercial venture. China needs access to new ports, resources and a workforce (yes, China is running out of factory workers).

I have no doubt that the highway will be top-quality. China's own national roads deliver 11 billion tons of goods every year from their factories to seaports and airports 24/7. Their highways are newer and in better shape than those in the USA.

China has become Pakistan's no. 1 arms exporter. They even collaborated on a modern fighter (JF-17 'Thunder' aka FC-1):

Just a reminder that the next game in the outstanding Next War series by GMT Games is India vs. Pakistan, which will also have scenarios for Chinese intervention. If you haven't tried this series of games and are interested in modern warfare there's a lot to like.
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"China-Pakistan Highway: Rapid Deployment Potential?"

Well they ain't building these roads and railways to visit Disneyland !

Maybe not for Disney but perhaps for the pretty artificial islands in Dubai!

Anyway, it now seems like China is looking to make some real purdy floating islands:

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Dan

They could make an island with stuff on it like Disneyland. And call it Chairman Mao Land !

Karachi used to be a rough place…not shocked they are passing it by.

Putting aside their strong influence via commercial and government loans, political contributions, trade imbalances and civil engineering projects seemingly everywhere …

China's leaders have been like busy bees expanding their control and their ability to flex their military muscles, without any real opposition:

- Their aggressive expansion into the entire South China Sea;

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- Their threats that US planes can't land in Taiwan, even during emergencies;

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- Their development of a naval string of pearls in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific (Gwadar Port is just one);

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- Their Nicaraguan Canal project;

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- Their ground operations in Yemen;

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- Their base in the South Atlantic (Namibia for now)

Have I missed anything else? Do we see a pattern? I see loads of gaming potential everywhere.

Dan

Are these uniforms still current for PLA?

Dan
PS. Rebel Minis 15mm
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QRF 15mm
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Dont forget that the Chinese use their own people for the work force and security. I give it 20 or 30 years and Pakistan will be the new Tibet.

"I give it 20 or 30 years"

That long? I'd say more like 10-20.

Dan

Tibet has 3.3 million people and Pakistan has 196 million. Tibet is about 60% the size of Pakistan and mostly mountainous.
So there is no chance of China overwhelming or even making e a small dent in Pakistan population.
This road will take years to build and who knows if it will ever be finished since Pakistan has always been unstable and China has a lot of problems too.

Pakistan's myriad of peoples and tribes would never submit to China's domination. They are also heavily armed, unlike Tibet or Xinjiang. Just trying to disarm Pakistan would mean decades of war and possibly millions of deaths for both sides.

Rather than turning an ally into another foe like India, China has been playing at Byzantine politics for 4,000 years. Better to keep Paks at arms length and a threat to their enemies, than to gain another one (armed with nukes) at their doorstep.

This road is an economic investment meant to further cement both country's relations.

You'd think that about the Chinese population too, but they do.

Today's allies may be tomorrow's foes.