Pakistan also expects China to turn Gwadar into a naval base. But, first a container terminal, rail and road links from the port across Balochistan would have to be built, before China can take advantage of the port itself.
For China, Gwadar could also be a conduit for energy flows into northwestern China, by transporting oil and gas from the port through pipelines that passes through Balochistan and the federal agencies to feed into China's Xinjiang province.
As China's oil imports increase, it would prefer to insulate its energy flows from the turbulent waters of the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea.
Indian ships among others patrol the Straits of Malacca as an anti-piracy measure.
