New Delhi: In a definitive sign of growing proximity between the militaries of China and Pakistan, a regular posting has been created in China’s People Liberation Army’s (PLA) headquarters for a colonel-ranked officer from the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ostensibly for purposes of 'better coordination'.
Appointed in March, the ISI colonel is now stationed in Beijing and posted with the Joint Staff Department, which is under the PLA’s Central Military Commission (CMC).
The arrangement is a result of an agreement between the two sides. The ISI official’s role is presumed to be of a coordinating nature and is twin-fold—to keep an eye on Uighur militant activity many of who have sought refuge in Pakistan and to ensure wellbeing and safety of Chinese workers employed in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Dwelling on the implications, Jayadeva Ranade, former additional secretary, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), told ETV Bharat: "China is taking Pakistani help to eradicate safe havens for Uighur militants many of whom, China believes, operate from areas in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The other mandate of the colonel-ranked ISI officer will be to coordinate on measures to ensure safety and security of the Chinese workers working for the CPEC project."
RAW is India's external intelligence agency.
"While the post created is a regular one, one doesn’t know till when the arrangement is continued," adds Ranade, who also heads the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy, a China-focused Indian think-tank.
Professing Muslim faith, Uighurs are an ethnic community from China’s south-western Xinjiang province, who have been demanding separation and independence from China. Over the last few decades, a few thousands of Uighurs have migrated from China and taken refuge in Pakistan.
On the other hand, the CPEC is a critical infrastructure project that has immense economic and strategic significance for both China and Pakistan. China has already invested about $62 billion in the project. One reason the project has been in the news is because of attacks on Chinese people by local people.
Set up in 2016 under Chinese President Xi Jinping's massive thrust for military reforms, CMC's Joint Staff Department is the nerve centre of the PLA headquarters and is mandated with military administration, operations command, formations, mobilizations, hiring, training etc.
Undoubtedly, the implication of setting up such an official post for the ISI in the PLA HQ in Beijing can be significant for India.
