While Project Vault is more of a global strategy, the focus on Reko Diq shows Washington’s growing strategic interest in Balochistan, a region that is both mineral-rich and geopolitically sensitive. For decades, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has waged a separatist insurgency demanding greater political autonomy and economic development, frequently targeting state assets and infrastructure linked to natural resources. Chinese workers in the region, working on President Xi Jinping’s ambitious China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, are also often targeted by the BLA in several isolated attacks.
