China and Pakistan’s ‘Donkey Diplomacy’ Sparks Controversy in Gwadar:

Now, amidst airport setbacks as well as an unopened port, The Print claims that Pakistan and China, the two all-weather allies, are pursuing ‘donkey diplomacy’ via Gwadar, the focal point of their CPEC project.

The report claims that the port city has now turned into a hub for completing China’s $7 million slaughterhouse project meant specifically to serve the rising demand for donkey meat, bones, and hides.

Worryingly, this center is run by the Hangeng Trade Company of China in a nation where donkeys are mainly used for freight purposes and are revered in some Islamic cultures. \

In addition, the facility located in Gwadar has the capacity to process over 300,000 donkey hides a year into ejiao, a medicine believed to enhance blood circulation, strengthen the body’s immune system, and aid against cancer.

Every year China spends around 8 billion dollars on ejiao. Donkey hide collagen is estimated to be worth 8 billion dollars a year.

Although the increase in Pakistan’s agricultural exports causes the nation’s economy to grow, criticism arises due to the fact that donkey meat is banned in the predominantly Islamic country. Nevertheless, these policies will need to be pursued in a country that has the largest population of donkeys in the world at an astounding 5.5 million by 2024.

This year in January, news sources say that the national assembly’s standing committee on food security of Pakistan was presented with a project by Mr. Rana Muhammad Hayat. Officials working with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research claim that the logistical barriers make the export of donkey by-products easier than that of live donkey exports.

The decision roused controversy with local people and religious heads in Gwadar protesting against the butchering of donkeys that serve as an important means of transport in rural areas. There are concerns against the impact it might have on the donkey population of Pakistan, especially after all, donkey meat consumption is banned in Islam.

Although these business activities cater to the increasing market in China for donkey products, they raise issues both in Pakistan and around the world as to its sustainability as well as ethics.

The Donkey Sanctuary reports that the global demand of ejiao, a product made from donkey skin, leads to the slaughtering of an annual supply of 5.9 million donkeys. Following the ban on the export of donkey skins by the African Association, China has increasingly turned to Pakistan for hides.

This increase in demand puts the donkey species at risk of extinction as it can lead to an upturn in illegal trade and poaching, accelerating the decline in the species's population.

According to The Print, the Pakistan Economic Survey (PES) 2023-240 has documented that the donkey population of the country has surged from 5.5 million during the FY 2019-2020 to 5.9 million in 2023-2024.

This is not the first time Pakistan has tried to sell banned animal products to other countries. In the 2015-2016 fiscal year, Pakistan sold 2.8 million dollars’ worth of banned pork meat to Afghanistan for NATO agents. Furthermore, data from the central bank reveals that $447,000 in pork was sold in 2016-2017.

Pakistani law forbids the consumption of donkey meat, but there is a significant rise in its demand in China. It is, however, reported in local media that the government has ensured that the meat will be exported and not consumed within the nation’s boundary for local consumption.

The ports and new airport remain underused in Gwadar, a city which was once thought to compete against Singapore’s shipping industry, due to low demand, poor infrastructure, and the ongoing political turmoil in Balochistan which stifles economic growth and shatters the hopes of progress on CPEC projects.

The airport facilitates $65 billion investment into CPEC regions, which is focused on improving trade and relations. The port together with an airport, which is strategically positioned on the shores of the Arabian Sea, seeks to unlock the deep-sea port of Gwadar, which is pivotal for existing and future trade between China, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa through rail, road, and pipeline networks.