Chinese naval soldiers stand on China's missile destroyer Haikou at a naval port in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province

China to expand marine corps for deployment in Gwadar

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/china-to-expand-marine-corps-for-deployment-in-gwadar/articleshow/57616597.cms

Comments by: Dr. Jumma Marri Baloch

China and Punjab are tightening their military grip and increasing their economical exploitation in occupied Balochistan, the divided Baloch leadership looks helpless as their vision ends at the end of their nose tips, while Baloch people are looking desperate hoping the free world will help them and the world looks unreasonably careless at the dire plight of Baloch people.

The thundering PM Modi took some stomach pain killers and went for a long rest, as I wrote many times Baloch must not count on Indian support and all those who are still waiting for a ride on dead horse must not waste their time and resources, I request all Baloch activists to quit India put a cross on her and shift all their attention to American and European support, only America has the power and resources to push china beyond her historical wall and Punjab back to mother India’s lap and give freedom to Baloch, Pashtoon and Sindhi people.

I call upon Baloch, Pashtoon and Sindhis to unite and fight as one for their freedom, destroy your internal difference and traitors.
Baloch Pashtoon and Sindhi are tired from Punjabi exploitation and that exploitation will only increase unless Pakistan is dismantled.

There must be three armies countering Punjabi army…These must be Baloch liberation army, (BLA) Sindh liberation army, (SLA) and Pashtoon liberation army, the (PLA) otherwise if we do not coordinate and fight shoulder to shoulder the better trained and organized Punjabi army will crush us one by one, if these three armies unite and fight as one they will easily defeat the Punjabi army…and all three nations will get their freedom and be the owners of their countries recourses freedom and dignity …

China to expand marine corps for deployment in Gwadar

          HIGHLIGHTS

• China is set to increase the number of its marine corps from 20,000 to one lakh for planned overseas deployment
• Marines to be deployed at Gwadar port in Pakistan and military logistics base in Djibouti in the Indian Ocean
• Chinese navy ships expected to dock at Gwadar in the near future

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BEIJING: China is set to increase the number of its marine corps from 20,000 to one lakh as part of plans to deploy them overseas for the first time, including at the strategic Gwadar port in Pakistan and military logistics base in Djibouti in the Indian Ocean.

The expansion is planned to protect China's maritime lifelines and its growing interests overseas, Hong-Kong based South China Morning Post reported today.

Some members would be stationed at ports China operates in Djibouti and Gwadar in southwest Pakistan, Chinese military insiders and experts were quoted as saying.

Gwadar port is a deep-sea port next to the Strait of Hormuz, the key oil route in and out of the Persian Gulf, built with Chinese funding and operated by mainland firms.

Although the port is not home to any PLA installation, navy ships are expected to dock at the facility in the near future, the report said.

Gwadar also connects the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through PoK with China's Xinjiang.

Reports from Pakistan said the country itself is setting up Special Security Division comprising 15,000 troops, including 9,000 Pakistan Army soldiers and 6,000 para-military forces personnel to protect CPEC and Chinese personnel.

The expanded Chinese marine corps is part of a wider push to refocus the world's largest army away from winning a land war based on sheer numbers and towards meeting a range of security scenarios using highly specialised units, the report said.

Towards that end, Chinese President Xi Jinping is reducing the size of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) by three lakh, with nearly all of the cuts coming from the land forces, it said.

For this, two brigades of special combat soldiers had already been moved to the marines, nearly doubling its size to 20,000, and more brigades would be added, the report said.

"The PLA marines will be increased to 100,000, consisting of six brigades in the coming future to fulfil new missions of our country," it quoted a source as saying.

The size of the navy would also grow 15 per cent from its current estimated size of 2.35 lakh personnel.

China this year plans to increase its defence spending by about seven per cent to $152 billion. Much of it was expected to go to the navy as China plans to spread its influence far from its shores.

Traditionally, marines have mostly operated only in China's coastal areas, as their role was limited by their relatively small numbers and basic equipment, Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said.

But a bigger corps could be deployed much farther afield as the navy takes on more challenges.