Zhao Lijian #fundie balochistantimes.com

Twitter hot as Chinese envoy questions Sana’s ‘blood’

Deputy Chief of Mission at Chinese embassy in Islamabad Zhao Lijian created controversy over asking questions about former Senator Sanaullah Baloch’s “blood”?

Mr. Baloch has been a fierce critic of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project that both countries claim would bring an economic revolution in the region. The people of Balochistan, however, think it would change the demographics of their land, from where the project is to originate.

Thousands of locals have been forced to migrate to give way to the CPEC routes that link China to the Gwadar deep sea port.

On 14 October, replying to one of Mr. Baloch’s tweets, Mr. Lijian posted:

"@Senator_Baloch Chinese are here to help Gwadar to develop. Are you Pakistani in blood? Are you against development in Gwadar in blood?"

The war of words began when Mr. Lijian tweeted on the opening of a school in Gwadar under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor project (CPEC).

Mr. Baloch responded: “Would you like to give Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands to #Japan if they offer to build an (sic) university in #China? Than (sic) why #Gwadar just for a school?

Mr. Linjian tweet back: "Diaoyu Islands are disputed territory between China and Japan. Is Gwadar disputed? Chinese are here to help Gwadar. Please be reasonable."

The Chinese diplomat had to delete his tweet question about Mr. Baloch’s “blood” as criticism poured in from different circles.

Mr. Baloch is vocal on the CPEC’s dark side for Balochistan. In his latest piece on 4 October under titled ‘CPEC: A Baloch Perspective’, Mr. Baloch wrote

“This ambiguous nature of the CPEC has created more alienation than unification. So much fear has been created that none of the media persons or researchers living inside Balochistan dare write or talk about the CPEC.

The entire provincial government has no convincing data to prove what the CPEC has for Balochistan.

We need to be honest with ourselves – that China needed Gwadar and in return we got a multibillion dollar infrastructure, metro line, eastern route and motorways and energy projects that will be focused in particular part of Pakistan.”

0 comments

Confused?

So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!

To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register. Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.