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    OPINION                                                                   MAY 02, 2025     |  The Indian Eye                    8

                       China’s Private Security Personnel in

             Pakistan: Implications for Regional Stability

                   Pakistan faces the challenge of balancing its sovereignty with the imperative of securing

                 Chinese investments that it perceives as being vital for its economic development. Given the

             simmering anti-China sentiment, an expanded Chinese security presence may inadvertently lend
                              weight to separatist narratives, fuelling unrest rather than alleviating it.

                    NAMITA BARTHWAL

                  eports concerning the deploy-
                  ment of 60 Chinese personnel
            Rfrom three Chinese Private
            Security Companies (PSCs)—Dewe
            Security Frontier Service Group,
            China Overseas Security Group,
            and Huaxin Zhongshan Security
            Service—to jointly safeguard two
            power projects under the China–Pa-
            kistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
            in Sindh, if confirmed, mark a signif-        Chinese PSCs have been operating in Pakistan for some time, their operations thus far have relied exclusively
            icant shift in the security dynamics of                             on local Pakistani nationals (Agency file photo)
            the China–Pakistan relationship.
                Although Chinese PSCs have    mental encouragement that initially   tionals or investments were directly   couraged the global expansion of its
            been operating in Pakistan for some   propelled these PSCs to expand their   affected, the incident prompted re-  PSCs. These entities have served as
            time, their operations thus far have   operations overseas.         newed discussions  between  China   instruments of discreet intervention,
            relied exclusively on  local  Pakistani   The move comes amid rising se-  and Pakistan regarding the enhance-  enabling China to secure strategic as-
            nationals. This latest development   curity threats to Chinese interests in   ment of security measures for Chi-  sets and personnel without the direct
            represents the first instance of Chi-  the region, most notably the Octo-  nese-led infrastructure projects.  projection of state military power. In
            nese nationals being deployed on the   ber 2024 attack on Karachi’s Jinnah                            countries like Djibouti, South Sudan,
            ground for security operations in Pa-  International Airport, in which two   MILITARY OPERATIONS      and Iraq, Chinese PSCs have often
            kistan.                           Chinese nationals were killed. This     OTHER THAN WAR              deployed personnel—both Chinese
                Although neither the Chinese   incident strained Sino-Pakistani rela-                             and locals—to protect workers and
            nor the Pakistani government have   tions and prompted a series of dip-   he deployment of Chinese se-  infrastructure critical to the BRI’s
            confirmed  this  deployment,  Paki-  lomatic engagements, during which    curity personnel in Pakistan   success.
            stani outlets have repeatedly report-  China even proposed deploying its  Taligns with China’s broader    Hiring local personnel has typi-
            ed China’s demand to allow person-  own security personnel to protect its   doctrine of ‘Military Operations Oth-  cally been  China’s  preferred  model
            nel from its private security firms to   citizens abroad. Relations were even-  er Than War’ (MOOTW), as outlined   for its PSCs, as it allows for smoother
            protect CPEC-related infrastructure.     tually restored following high-level   in the 2013 Defence White Paper.   integration and helps avoid diplo-
            This deployment reportedly marks   discussions.                     This doctrine legitimises overseas   matic friction. In Pakistan, too, Chi-
            the initial phase of a broader plan,   In February 2025, Pakistan’s se-  interventions aimed at safeguarding   nese PSCs initially relied on local
            with additional personnel expect-  curity  situation  deteriorated  signifi-  national interests, particularly in vol-  hires to safeguard personnel and in-
            ed to be dispatched in subsequent   cantly when the Balochistan Libera-  atile regions where Chinese invest-  frastructure working on the CPEC.
            stages based on evolving security re-  tion Army (BLA) hijacked the Jaffar   ments are exposed to security threats.  However, the escalating num-
            quirements. Chinese PSCs operate in   Express, resulting in the deaths of   Following the launch of the Belt   ber  of  attacks  on  Chinese  workers
            close coordination with the Chinese   26 individuals, including 18 security   and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013,   and key CPEC installations has con-
            government. It was in fact govern-  personnel. Although no Chinese na-  the Chinese government actively en-  Continued on next page... >>

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