工资是国内的四倍，中国人纷纷来这个国家冒险

来自重庆的企业家张扬（音）正在网络论坛上寻找志同道合的闯将，和他一起远赴据说“安全不好”的巴基斯坦，开辟商业机会。

张扬今年48岁。随着中国政府承诺通过“一带一路”计划向巴基斯坦投资570亿美元用于基建项目建设，以张扬为代表的越来越多的中国商人已经嗅到了喜马拉雅山那一头的商机。

随着中国工人建设的“一带一路”项目破土动工，目前奔赴巴基斯坦做生意的中国人已达数千人，有的开餐馆，有的开语言学校，也有些中国人正琢磨着能把哪些中国商品卖给这个拥有2.08亿人口的国家，或者他们可以把哪些东西放到巴基斯坦生产，好借助成本优势销往全世界。

张扬主要做不动产、电器和日用品行业。他表示：“中国的很多行业已经饱和了。”他打算在巴基斯坦建立几家工厂，或者进口一些中国商品在这里销售。

“巴基斯坦的发展落后于中国，所以它跟中国相比也有更多机会。”

不过这些中国商人也面临着一些危险，这也令巴基斯坦的安全官员深感头痛。

今年六月，两名中国公民在巴基斯坦的俾路支省被“伊斯兰国”恐怖分子杀害，此事已经充分说明了在巴华人面临的风险。中国人在巴基斯坦极易成为伊斯兰极端分子袭击的目标。

另据巴基斯坦官员介绍，北京也一直担心巴基斯坦的伊斯兰极端势力会与东突等疆独势力合流。

巴基斯坦政府虽然没有披露相关移民数据，不过据巴外交部的消息称，2016年约有7.1万名中国公民入境巴基斯坦。一位巴高级移民官员称，去年巴基斯坦移民部门共向中国公民签发了27,596份延长签证许可，较2015年上涨了41%，这也表明有越来越多的中国人选择延长了在巴基斯坦的居留时间。

对于巴基斯坦来说，要想确保境内所有中国人的安全，显然不是一件容易的事。

北京在基建上对巴基斯坦的大笔投资已经对巴国内经济起到了明显的提振效果，同时进一步强化了两国的经济纽带，巴基斯坦也已成为中国“一带一路”宏伟计划上的重要一环。

“中巴经济走廊”的第一阶段，也就是“一带一路”的巴方部分，主要集中在基建项目；第二部分则是要建立经济特区，将中国企业融入本地经济，以帮助巴基斯坦发展从采矿到农业等各个行业。

目前为止，中国已经成为了巴基斯坦最大的外国直接投资来源国，2016、2017年的直接投资额都超过了10亿美元。而就在中国企业积极进军巴基斯坦的时候，西方企业却由于安全和腐败等考量而对这个国家敬而远之。

“巴基斯坦非常需要外国投资，我们不能因为几个拿着枪的白痴，就错过了外资的投资机会。”巴基斯坦总理阿巴西的特别顾问米夫塔·伊斯梅尔指出：“我们不会让他们骚扰中国人的。”

安全挑战

中国媒体对巴国的报道还是相当友好的。在中国中央电视台播出的关于“一带一路”的节目中，巴基斯坦是个上镜率比较高的国家，央视经常会报道中巴经济走廊的建设情况，并且采访在巴国工作的工人。

不过在路透社的采访中，许多中国人对巴国的安全形势显然还是很谨慎的。

一位英文名字叫德里克·王的中国商人表示，俾路支省发生的两名中国同胞被害一事，“给我们上了重要的一课。”

德里克·王是Infoshare公司的副总，他的公司是一家位于伊斯兰堡的咨询公司，主要为在巴中国企业及企业家提供服务。他表示，安全问题是初到巴基斯坦的中国人最担心的问题。

巴基斯坦对中国投资者的安全也是极为重视的。在中资机构和中国语言学校四周，随时有手持自动步枪的保安和警察巡逻警戒。另外巴国安全官员还表示，他们在这些重点部位四周还安排了不少便衣警察，以保护中国人的安全。

虽然“一带一路”项目的工程师和建筑工人们都得到了巴方军警荷枪实弹的保护，可那些独个儿前来淘金的企业家们就没有这么好运了。他们散布在巴基斯坦各地，而且其中很少有人会向巴有关部门报告他们的行程计划。

旁遮普省的安全官员穆罕默德·费沙尔·拉纳表示：“这也是目前最大的一个挑战。”2014年，旁遮普省成立了一支8000人的特别警卫部门，专门负责保卫在该省的外国人的安全，拉纳就是这个特别部门的负责人。他们保护的目标有90%是中国人。

拉纳表示，有越来越多的中国企业家持旅行护照进入该省。很多企业家是来做市场调查的，也有些是来做产品投放的，时间不长便回到了中国。

他表示：“这些因素有时在我们的‘雷达’范围之外，我们不知道他们是乘坐哪趟航班来的，也不知道他们想要去哪。”

该特别警卫部门与很多中国人常住的旅店都建立了联系，并且在机场设置了联络台，好在中国企业家离开机场前对他们的去向进行备案。信德省和开伯尔-普赫赫图赫瓦省等地也正在加紧筹建累似的警卫部门。

汉语学校受热捧，行贿官员是常态

在2014年以前，巴基斯坦首都伊斯兰堡还很少能看见中国人的面孔。不过现在，这里的中国人变得越来越多，已经超过了其他国家的人。当地甚至发行了巴国有史以来的第一份中文报纸——《华商报》。

到达首都机场之后，游客经常会接到中文宣传页，上面宣传的是一家中国的快递服务公司。在城市各个角落，中文出现的频率也越来越高了。

对于刚到巴基斯坦且很难爱上当地美食的中国人来说，遍地开花的中餐馆也使他们不至于为吃什么而发愁。

感受到中国国力日益强大的巴基斯坦人，也蜂拥前往当地新开办的汉语学校学习中文。

艾米·秦（音）是一家中餐馆的老板，同时她也经营着一家小旅馆，她的主顾主要是中国电信巨头中兴通讯的员工。由于生意火爆，她又开了一家Spa和第二家旅馆。

她表示：“在中巴经济走廊启动后，越来越多的中国人对巴基斯坦产生了兴趣。他们不停地在当地寻找商业伙伴。”

在伊斯兰堡的一家中餐馆里，土木工程师潘登豪（音）感叹着巴基斯坦蒸人的热浪。不过他也承认，他在这里的工作和薪水，是国内的许多同龄的年轻人拿不到的。

“每年中国都有很多毕业的大学生，但是就业机会是有限的。”潘登豪今年25岁，他的公司正在修建伊斯兰堡的新机场。

中巴经济走廊是在2014年启动的，在那之前来巴基斯坦的中国人凭借这几年的经验，已经在给后来的中国人做咨询了——比如教他们如何搞定巴国出了名的难缠的官僚系统，或是将他们介绍给巴基斯坦的合作伙伴。

先谈薪水问题，再说安全问题

在巴基斯坦这样一个十分保守的穆斯林国家，中国商人遇上一些习俗上的冲突也是难免的事。比如有些中餐馆会对客人偷偷喝酒睁一只眼闭一只眼。不过总的来说，普通的巴基斯坦人民对中国人是没什么敌意的。

和西方国家不一样，巴国人民视中国为巴基斯坦的传统盟友，很多中国游客会津津乐道地讲起自己被巴国军警“放一马”的故事——比如无照驾驶被抓到了，当地警察一句“中国人是朋友”，就会将他放了。

巴国官员极力将两名中国公民被杀事件描述成偶发事件。他们表示，这两名中国人之所以被极端分子盯上，是因为他们是乔装成商人的基督教传教士。

不过在此次袭击发生后，至少有一支中国企业代表团取消了访巴的行程。

此后，巴基斯坦强化了对中国公民经商签证的有关规定，并信誓旦旦地表示，一定会进一步抓好安全问题。

在拉合尔的中巴经济走廊的项目地，旁遮普省的特别警卫部门的军警们穿着防弹背心，荷枪实弹地坐在皮卡车的车斗里，来自中国的高管们走到哪里，他们就坐着皮卡跟到哪里。

一位中资企业的高管表示，有一次她要从克什米尔争议地区前往伊斯兰堡的办事处，当地军警为她提供了一名武装警卫，全程保护了她四个小时，“让我十分感动。”

不过当地安全官员也承认，并非是所有中国人都能获得24小时的贴身保护，而也很多中国商人也不喜欢自己的自由受到限制。

不过中国企业的招聘人员，如某中资公司的杨小姐表示，此次两名中国公民遇害事件并未打消中国人到巴基斯坦工作的热情。这主要是由于在巴工作的工资大约是国内的四倍。

“大家首先关心的是工资的高低，以及工资什么时候发，其次才是安全问题。”（财富中文网）

译者：贾政景

Zhang Yang, a businessman from Chongqing in southwest China, is searching online forums for fellow stout-hearted entrepreneurs willing to cast aside security concerns and join him on a scouting mission to Pakistan.

Zhang, 48, is one of a growing number of Chinese pioneers sensing an opportunity across the Himalayas in Pakistan, where Beijing has pledged to spend $57 billion on infrastructure projects as part of its "Belt and Road" initiative.

Numbering in the thousands, this second wave of Chinese arrivals are following in the wake of workers on Belt and Road projects. Some are opening restaurants and language schools, while others are working out what products they could sell to a market of 208 million people, or what goods they could make cheaply in Pakistan to sell around the world.

"A lot of industries are already saturated in China," said Zhang, who has worked in property, electrical appliances and household goods in China and says he wants to explore the potential for setting up factories or importing Chinese goods.

"Pakistan's development is behind China, so it will hold better opportunities compared to home."

But the new arrivals face dangers, creating a headache for Pakistani security officials.

Islamic State's killing of two Chinese nationals in the restive Baluchistan province in June highlighted the risks posed by Islamist militants, who may see them as soft targets in their war with the state.

Beijing has also long fretted about hardened Pakistani Islamist fighters linking up with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a Uigher militant group Beijing accuses of seeking to split off its western region of Xinjiang, Pakistani officials say.

Islamabad does not release immigration data but a source in the foreign ministry said about 71,000 Chinese nationals visited in 2016. A senior immigration official added 27,596 visa extensions were granted to Chinese that year, a 41% increase on 2015, suggesting more are staying in the country for longer.

For Pakistan, the stakes in keeping all those Chinese nationals safe are high.

Beijing's infrastructure splurge has helped revive Pakistan's sputtering economy, and deepening ties between the two nations have turned Pakistan into a key cog in China's grand plan to build a modern-day "Silk Road" of land and sea trade routes linking Asia with Europe and Africa.

While the first phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as the Pakistan leg of this new Silk Road is called, concentrated on infrastructure projects, the second part will focus on setting up special economic zones and integrating Chinese firms into the local economy to help Pakistan develop its industries ranging from mining to agriculture.

China has also surged to become by far the biggest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) for Pakistan, topping $1 billion in 2016/17, and is betting on its neighbor at a time when many Western companies are still put off by security concerns and corruption.

"Pakistan really needs foreign investment and we are not going to miss out on this because of some idiots with a gun," said Miftah Ismail, a special adviser to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. "We won't let them mess with the Chinese."

Security Challenge

Pakistan receives friendly coverage in Chinese media and regularly features in state broadcaster CCTV's programs on the Belt and Road initiative, which include promotions of CPEC and interviews with Chinese workers living in the country.

That has not been enough to assuage concerns about security for Zhang and other Chinese businessmen and women who spoke to Reuters.

"It's a big lesson for us," said Derek Wang, referring to the Baluchistan killings.

Wang, deputy chief executive of Infoshare, an Islamabad-based consultancy assisting Chinese entrepreneurs and businesses, said security was the number one concern of Chinese newcomers.

Pakistan is taking the threat seriously. Guards and police with automatic rifles shield Chinese-staffed offices and language schools, while security officials say plainclothes officers form a less visible layer of protection at such sites.

Unlike the engineers and construction workers who reside in heavily-guarded compounds while building the roads and power plants that make up CPEC, the entrepreneurs seeking riches on the back of it mostly arrive on their own and disperse across the country. Few inform authorities of their plans.

"This is the biggest challenge right now," said Muhammad Faisal Rana, who heads an 8,000-strong Special Protection Unit set up by Punjab province in 2014 to guard foreigners. Ninety percent of those it protects are Chinese, he said.

Rana said growing numbers of Chinese entrepreneurs turn up with tourist visas. Many are conducting market research, while some launch their products and then flit back to China.

"All these elements are sometimes out of our radar, and we have no idea from which flight they are coming in and where they are heading towards," he said.

SPU officials have cultivated ties with guesthouses popular with Chinese and set up liaison desks at airports to register the Chinese entrepreneurs before they vanish, while governments in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces are accelerating plans to build up special protection units akin to the one in Punjab.

Language Schools, Bribes

In Islamabad, where Chinese visitors were seldom seen before 2014, their prominence is growing. They now outnumber other foreigners, and the country's first-ever Chinese-language newspaper, Huashang, has been launched.

Visitors arriving at the capitals airport are handed flyers written in Mandarin advertising a Chinese courier service, and in the city shop signs in the Chinese language are increasingly common.

Chinese restaurants are sprouting to cater for new arrivals who are rarely fond of Pakistani food.

Pakistanis, sensing their neighbor's growing power, are flocking to study at new Chinese language schools.

A boom in business has prompted Ami Quin, a Chinese restaurateur and owner of a guesthouse for employees of Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE, to open a spa and a second guesthouse.

"More and more people are very interested to come to Pakistan after CPEC," she said. "They are looking for partners all the time."

In one of Quin's restaurants in Islamabad, civil engineer Pan Denghao lamented the oppressive Pakistani heat but conceded the money and jobs on offer exceeded what young people like him could expect back home.

"Every year in China you have so many graduates from colleges and universities, but the opportunities and chances for jobs are limited," said Pan, 25, whose company is building Islamabad's new airport.

Chinese businessmen who arrived before CPEC was unveiled in 2014 are capitalizing on their experience to launch consultancies, advising newcomers how to circumnavigate the country's notorious bureaucracy or match them with Pakistani partners.

Salary, Then Safety

Although Chinese habits sometimes clash with local customs in a deeply conservative Muslim nation–Chinese restaurants, for example, sometimes turn a blind eye to customers drinking smuggled alcohol–there is little sign of hostility to the new arrivals from ordinary Pakistanis.

Unlike Western nations, China is widely seen as having been a consistent ally to Pakistan, and Chinese visitors often recount stories of being let off minor misdemenours - such as driving without a license - by police and government officials with comments like "you are our friends."

Officials have portrayed the Islamic State killings in Baluchistan as a one-off, saying the two Chinese victims were targeted because they were Christian missionaries masquerading as business people.

But at least one Chinese business delegation canceled its trip to Pakistan as a result of the attack.

Pakistan has since tightened business visa rules for Chinese nationals and vowed improved security.

At a CPEC site guarded by the Punjab SPU in Lahore, policemen clad in bullet-proof vests demonstrated to Reuters how armed officers sitting on the back of pick-up trucks shield Chinese executives when transporting them in convoys.

One Chinese executive said police provided her with an armed convoy for a four-hour trip from the disputed Kashmir region to her office in Islamabad. "It was quite touching," she said.

But security officials concede not everyone can be given round-the-clock protection, and many businessmen do not want their freedom curbed.

Still, China-based recruiters such as Ms Yang, of Zaozhuang Xincai Services, say the Islamic State killings have not dented the stream of applicants seeking work in Pakistan, thanks to pay that can be more than four times what they would earn at home.

"First concerns are about how high or low the salary is, when it will be paid," she said. "And then safety."