China formally took over the operational control of the Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province during the first visit to Pakistan by China’s premier, Li Keqiang, last month. Under a contract signed between the two countries in February this year, the port has been handed over to the China Overseas Ports Holding Company, which has purchased all the shares in Gwadar Port project from the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA).
China has become the operator of the strategic port, which it has largely built and funded.
Pakistan plans to develop Gwadar Port City on the pattern of Dubai. The government of the newly elected prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, has declared Gwadar as a duty-free port on the lines of Jebel Ali . If mega development projects are smoothly and timely materialised, Gwadar may turn into a city, which will be comparable with Singapore, Hong Kong, Colombo and Dubai.
Gwadar has a special significance with reference to its geo-strategic location and potential for development of trade links with the nations of the Central Asian Republics (Cars), Arabian Gulf and East Africa as well as north-western India. Gwadar port has land access to the whole of Asia and it has also easy sea access to the Gulf ports.
Islamabad and Beijing plan to link Gwadar in Balochistan with China’s far western province of Xinjiang through several road and rail connectivity projects. Development activity in Balochistan and Xinjiang is expected to bring an economic bonanza for both countries.

via China has to keep the peace in Pakistan’s Gwadar Port | The National.