Why Pakistan's Gwadar port is important for China

*Gwadar is warm-water, deep-sea port on the Arabian Sea.<br /> <br /> * Strategic location between South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, just outside the Straits of Hormuz.<br /> <br /> * It was upgraded at a cost of $1.62bn, Chinese media said.<br /> <br /> * The port was officially leased to China for 43 years, until 2059. On return after the lease period, it will be Pakistan&#39;s second naval base<br /> <br /> * It will also be the site of a floating liquefied natural gas facility as part of the larger $2.5 billion Iran&ndash;Pakistan gas pipeline project.

* CPEC investments expected to exceed all FDI in Pakistan since 1970.

* Over 7 lakh direct jobs likely to be created by CPEC in Pakistan.

A group of Pakistani lawmakers has expressed concern that Beijing could eventually use the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to boost its trade with India. "Irrespective of sour India-Pakistan, China will definitely use CPEC to expand its trade with India because one who invests always watches one's interests first," A Pakistani MP said.

* People in Balochistan, the Pakistani province in which Gwadar is located, are against the CPEC.

* They claim that the CPEC's benefits will not flow to them.

* Pakistani extremist outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban has already claimed the killing of some Chinese in Pakistan.

* Pakistan has deployed as many as 14,503 security personnel to secure some 7,036 Chinese nationals working on CPEC