US, China embracing risk in Pakistan’s violent mineral frontier

For much of Pakistan’s modern history, Balochistan has been described in terms of risk and security, political grievances and stalled development. Its immense mineral wealth, long noted in geological surveys and policy debates, has yet to translate into sustained, meaningful international investment. The result has been a persistent gap between promise and reality, shaping global perceptions of the province as a frontier of dangerous uncertainty rather than a destination for long-term economic commitment.That narrative, however, is beginning to change. 

Renewed waves of Chinese and Pakistani investment, focused on the long-delayed Reko Diq project, suggest that major investors are reassessing both the scale of Balochistan’s buried mineral treasures and the strategic logic of remaining engaged despite chronic instability and insurgent threat.

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