Analysis: China's new Ambassador to Pakistan.
Analysis: China's new Ambassador to Pakistan.
Will Jiang's success in Laos help bring CPEC back to life?
On 5 September, Jiang Zaidong (姜再冬) arrived in Islamabad to assume his post as China’s new Ambassador to Pakistan1. Jiang’s initial nomination was announced on 30 July2, just days after his farewell reception in Laos to mark the conclusion of his time as Ambassador there3. On 31 July, during Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng’s visit to Pakistan to celebrate 10 years of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), six new Memorandums of Understanding relating to CPEC were signed4. In recent years, however, many CPEC projects have been marred with delays due to political instability5, corruption, and violence6. Will Jiang’s appointment help make a difference?
When Jiang’s predecessor, Nong Rong (农融), who is currently Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs7, was posted to Pakistan in 2020, the news was met with a degree of optimism. CPEC ‘Phase II’ had recently launched, and commentators were suggesting that despite Nong’s lack of diplomatic experience, his expertise on trade related matters made him an excellent candidate for addressing CPEC’s woes8. Whilst Nong’s time in Pakistan did see several CPEC energy and infrastructure projects completed, many projects remained severely delayed.
Unlike Nong, who spent the majority of his career in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region9, Jiang has a wealth of experience as a diplomat. Over his 30-year career, Jiang has spent time in the Department of Asian Affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), as well as in Southeast Asia, with multiple postings to Vietnam and a 5-year posting as Ambassador to Laos. It is possible that Jiang will prove to be more effective than his predecessor at mediating unexpected project setbacks thanks to his diplomatic experience. For Jiang’s full CV, please see the end of the article.
Jiang’s proven track record supporting Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in Laos, which enable the China-Laos Economic Corridor, would have been a major factor for his selection as the next Ambassador to Pakistan. Indeed, during Jiang’s time in Laos, a number of important BRI projects were completed, including the $5.9 billion China-Laos railway10. The China-Laos railway is the main pillar of the China-Laos Economic Corridor and forms part of a larger rail network in the region, namely, the Kunming – Singapore railway11.
Jiang’s experience in Laos will undoubtedly help him facilitate similar projects in Pakistan, such as Mainline-1 (ML-1), a multi-billion-dollar project to upgrade the railway between Karachi and Peshawar12. ML-1 is the largest CPEC infrastructure project13 but it has suffered repeated delays since its inception14. It is possible that Jiang’s presence in Pakistan will have a positive influence on this project.
Highest on Jiang’s agenda will be to establish relationships with Pakistan’s elite, just as Nong Rong did in late 2020. Indeed, according to the embassy’s website, Nong spent his first month holding over two dozen meetings with senior government officials in Pakistan15. According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, there are currently 20 CPEC energy and infrastructure projects under construction, in-pipeline, or under consideration16 17, so it is imperative that Jiang hits the ground running if he is to succesfully put CPEC back on track.
Full CV18:
1992-1995: Staff Member, Department of Asian Affairs, MFA
1995-1998: Attaché and Third Secretary, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Vietnam
1998-2000: Third Secretary and Second Secretary, Department of Asian Affairs, MFA
2000-2005: Second Secretary and First Secretary, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Vietnam
2005-2010: First Secretary, Deputy Director, and Director of the Department of Asian Affairs, MFA
2010-2014: Counselor, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Vietnam
2014-2014: Deputy Director-level Cadre, Department of Asian Affairs, MFA
2014-2017: Counselor, Department of Asian Affairs, MFA
2017-2018: Deputy Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs, MFA
2018-2023: Ambassador to Laos
2023 - Present: Ambassador to Pakistan
References
https://web.archive.org/web/20230908063932/http://pk.china-embassy.gov.cn/zbgx/202309/t20230905_11138836.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20230908072518/https://pakobserver.net/china-announces-new-ambassador-to-pakistan/
https://web.archive.org/web/20230908072625/http://la.china-embassy.gov.cn/dssghd/202307/t20230726_11118182.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20230903164810/https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistan-and-china-ink-six-agreements-to-expedite-cooperation-under-cpec/article67141869.ece
https://web.archive.org/web/20230901040327/https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/internal-politics-instability-and-chinas-frustrated-efforts-escape-malacca-dilemma
https://web.archive.org/web/20230624182035/https://www.cfr.org/blog/china-pakistan-economic-corridor-hard-reality-greets-bris-signature-initiative
https://web.archive.org/web/20230623033704/https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb_663304/zygy_663314/gyjl_663316/nr/
https://web.archive.org/web/20230328070001/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3101365/china-appoints-trade-expert-new-ambassador-pakistan-help-drive
https://web.archive.org/web/20230603150113/http://pk.china-embassy.gov.cn/dsjy/dsjl/
https://web.archive.org/web/20230705043106/https://thediplomat.com/2021/12/laos-unlocked/
https://web.archive.org/web/20220905214547/https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2022/09/828446/goods-worth-more-us1-billion-transported-china-laos-line
https://web.archive.org/web/20230908060838/https://cpecinfo.com/ml-1-railway-project-pakistan-china-likely-to-sign-agreement-in-august/
https://web.archive.org/web/20230102063857/https://cpecinfo.com/ml-1-kcr-upgrade-projects-under-cpec-to-kick-off-in-march/
https://web.archive.org/web/20230819060329/https://southasianvoices.org/ten-years-of-cpec-a-decade-of-disappointments/
https://web.archive.org/web/20230909020343/http://pk.china-embassy.gov.cn/zbgx/index_22.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20230909050022/https://cpec.gov.pk/energy
https://web.archive.org/web/20230909050141/https://cpec.gov.pk/infrastructure
https://web.archive.org/web/20230907034628/http://la.china-embassy.gov.cn/chn/dsxx/dsjj/