New Delhi: Raising India's security concerns, the intelligence agencies on Saturday informed the Narendra Modi-led government that Chinese troops will be soon positioned in Pakistan to heighten the security of the 3,000-km-long China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Furthermore, Pakistan has raised three independent infantry Brigades and two additional artillery regiments to protect the highway, as per NDTV.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is crucial since it connects the Gwadar Port in Balochistan to China's Xinjiang region.
While speaking to the news chanel, a top Indian government official said, "We are closely watching these developments."
"We have a fair idea of the number of Chinese troops that are likely to be positioned in Pakistan," he added.
There are indications that Pakistan is seriously attempting to annex this region into a fifth province of Pakistan, government sources said.
Pakistan's moves to annex Gilgit-Baltistan have led to massive protest in the region and brutal crackdowns on the local population.
The first phase of the CPEC is likely to be functional by December 2016 and it is expected to be completely ready in three years, giving China direct access to the Indian Ocean and beyond.
The corridor is likely to be used, among other things, to transport fuel and petroleum products from the Gulf region into China. Its will shorten the route for China's energy imports from the Middle East by about 12,000 km.
