UPDATE: Chinese premier inaugurates Gwadar International Airport in Pakistan

UPDATES WITH SIGNING OF MOUS, CHANGES DECK, NO CHANGES IN LEDE AND HEADER

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday inaugurated operations at a newly built, Beijing-funded airport in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, according to state-run Pakistan Television.

The $200-million Gwadar International Airport, a central piece of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was inaugurated in a ceremony at Pakistan's Prime Minister Office in Islamabad. The airport, one of Pakistan's largest, is set to handle both domestic and international flights, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Speaking at the ceremony, Li, who is on a four-day visit to Pakistan, hailed the completion of the airport as a "milestone" for regional connectivity. He emphasized the strategic significance of the port city of Gwadar, describing it as the "center-stage for regional development" and a “symbol of Pakistan-China friendship.”

China, he added, remains committed to supporting the development of Pakistan, one of Beijing’s closest allies.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, also speaking at the event, referred to the new airport as a “gift” from China to Pakistan, underscoring the deep ties between the two nations.

The $64 billion CPEC, launched in 2015 as part of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, seeks to connect China’s northwestern Xinjiang province to Pakistan’s Balochistan province via a 2,000-mile network of roads, railways, and pipelines. The deep-sea Gwadar port, a critical component of CPEC, is intended to provide China with its shortest trade route to the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.

However, the project has encountered resistance from ethnic Baloch separatists who accuse China of "stealing" local resources. The separatists have targeted Chinese nationals and CPEC-related infrastructure across Pakistan in recent years. Earlier this month, two Chinese engineers working on a CPEC-related energy project were killed in a suicide bombing in Karachi, a southern port city. The Balochistan Liberation Army, an outlawed group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Alongside Baloch separatists, militants affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have also targeted Chinese nationals and projects.

In response to these security concerns, Beijing announced last week that it is working closely with Islamabad to enhance the protection of its citizens, projects, and institutions within Pakistan.

During Li’s visit, Pakistan and China signed 13 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) covering security, education, science and technology, agriculture, human development, and other areas. Additionally, the State Bank of Pakistan and the People’s Bank of China signed an MoU to establish a currency exchange arrangement, further solidifying economic ties between the two nations.