You’d think that if China is wary of Islamic separatists destabilizing Xinjiang, the two things it wouldn’t want to do is outlaw Muslim practices in the province and allow Pakistan to self-destruct.The former creates the kind of resentments that fuel insurgencies, andthe latter creates the kind of safe havens that harbor them.
Despite turning down Islamabad’s loan request, though, China’s “due diligence” didn’t stop it from promising to help Pakistan build a couple nuclear reactors. Those things ain’t cheap, of course, but at least they’re C.O.D.