To protect CPEC, China in talks with Baloch militants in Pakistan:Report

China has been secretly holding talks with Baloch militants in Pakistan for more than five years to secure protection for its $60 billion worth China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), reported British newspaper Financial Times (FT) on Monday.Three people with knowledge of the talks told FT that Beijing had been in direct contact with militants in Balochistan, the restive province where several key CPEC projects are located."The Chinese have quietly made a lot of progress," a Pakistani official was quoted as saying by FT.If true, it would explain a curious statement by China's envoy to Pakistan earlier this month. Yao Jing asserted without proof or explanation that Baloch militant organisations are no longer a threat to CPEC.

For more than half a century, Beijing has maintained a policy of non-interference in the domestic politics of other countries. But that has been tested by its desire to protect the billions of dollars it is investing around the world under its Belt and Road Initiative to create a "new Silk Road" of trade routes in Europe, Asia and Africa.

As it seeks to boost the Chinese economy, China's plans for the new Silk Road has pitched it into some of the world's most complex conflict zones.

Chinese peacekeepers are already in South Sudan, where Beijing has invested in oilfields and is planning to build a rail line. China has also contributed troops to a UN peacekeeping operation in Mali and even talked about launching attacks against the militant Islamic State group in Iraq, where it has been the largest foreign investor in the country's oil sector.

In Pakistan, Beijing appears keen to fill the void left by Washington, which has drifted from its former ally after becoming frustrated at Islamabad's failure to tackle extremism.

Some have warned that China's investment could lead to Pakistan being treated like a client state by Beijing, despite promises that Chinese troops would not be stationed there.

The paper claimed that the Pakistani officials welcomed the talks between Baloch rebels and Chinese envoys, even if they do not know the details of what has been discussed.

"Ultimately, if there's peace in Balochistan, that will benefit both of us," said one official in Islamabad.

Another said that the recent decision by the US to suspend security assistance to Pakistan had convinced many in Islamabad that China was a more genuine partner.

"[The Chinese] are here to stay and help Pakistan, unlike the Americans, who cannot be trusted," the official said.

Chinese officials did not comment on the talks, though the Chinese ambassador to Islamabad said in a recent interview with the BBC that militants in Balochistan were no longer a threat to the economic corridor.

One provincial tribal leader said many young men had been persuaded to lay down their weapons by the promise of financial benefits.

"Today, young men are not getting attracted to join the insurgents as they did some 10 years ago," he said. "Many people see prosperity" as a result of the CPEC, he added.