Seminar Magazine CPEC 2022

Lahore Journal of Economics, 2018

As part of the massive One Belt One Road (OBOR) project or 'New Silk Road' the governments of China and Pakistan have announced that a significant 'corridor' will be constructed in Pakistan. This paper looks in detail at the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) package of transport, energy and manufacturing projects and asks how we can analyse the impact of a transformative expansion of infrastructure. This paper draws lessons from various old-fashioned economics including Rostow, Hirschman and others and the historical case studies of transformative infrastructure expansion in the nineteenth century United States, Mexico, Germany and India to explore the conditions under which CPEC could promote sustainable long-run economic growth in Pakistan.

Asian Survey, 2020

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is often portrayed as the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative. While much attention has been devoted to its geopolitical repercussions, its impacts on Pakistan’s federal system and interprovincial relations have not yet been explored. Organized around interviews conducted in 2015, 2018, and 2019, this article demonstrates that the construction of the economic corridor is acting as a centripetal force in Pakistan’s federal structure, despite the potential for such a large external investment to redress the disparities between provinces.

Contemporary South Asia, 2020

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) announced in 2015 is a $60billion package of Chinese-led investment in roads, railways, energy and industry in Pakistan. It is part of China's new Eurasia-wide Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The likely impact of CPEC is controversial. Some scholars argue that CPEC will generate prosperity, regional equality and rapid economic growth in Pakistan. Others argue that CPEC will lead to debt and to the economic and political subordination of Pakistan to China. The existing discussion of CPEC has a near exclusive inward-looking focus on Pakistan. Some scholars, mainly from outside of Pakistan, have looked in more detail at China, but principally from an International Relations perspective. Missing from all of this discussion is how economic change in China, particularly in Western China, will influence the likely economic outcome of the CPEC. This paper makes an effort to start fill this gap. The paper demonstrates the likely competitive nature of the emerging economy of Xinjiang with that of Pakistan. Careful attention needs to be paid to the evolution of thinking and policy practice in Beijing.

This paper discusses the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) long-term infrastructural project as a major part of the One Belt One Road (OBOR) the major global initiative by the Chinese government, scheduled to complete by 2030. CPEC is a joint project that Beijing and Islamabad agreed to finance through Chinese investments utilizing investment loans largely by Chinese financial institutions; nevertheless, Pakistan will also be responsible for investing approximately 15 billion dollars on its own in the process. While the project has been welcomed by Greater Eurasia (including Russia, Iran, and Central Asia) besides the United Kingdom and Western European countries, albeit vehement opposition by India. Paper elaborates upon the positive and negative elements that will likely impact the project progress, from internal political, economic dynamics of Pakistan and consequent security challenges to the related transit tariff issues, quality labor force supplies, just as well the inter-provincial competition between Baluchistan and KPK (Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa) besides the reaction of some South Asian countries, namely, India and Bangladesh. It highlights the opportunities, challenges and the impact that this mega project will likely have to the existing socioeconomic infrastructure, job opportunities, poverty level index, and regional peace and security.

IJPSSR, 2023

One Belt One Road (OBOR) Initiative” or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are termed the most ambitious project of the 21st century. The multi-billion dollar investment plan is supposed to connect China to at least three continents i.e., Asia, Europe, and Africa through roads, seas, and railway lines. The lead project of OBOR is CPEC i.e. China Pakistan Economic Corridor. CPEC is already in its third phase of development and offers not only optimistic promises to Pakistan’s economic and political stability but the entire region. Existing literature on CPEC is more focused on the earlier optimistic promises that the projects offer, and there is a gap that needs to be filled regarding the implications of CPEC projects on Pakistan’s Foreign Policy. While there is a consensus on Foreign Policy decision-making to be one of the fundamental instruments for any state to pursue its national interests abroad, any implication imposed upon it through heavy Foreign Direct Investment will bear the consequences. The main objective of this paper is to analyse that weather China’s multibillion-dollar investment in China Pakistan Economic Corridor has any implications for Pakistan’s foreign policy. Through qualitative data analysis this study suggests that although huge Chinese investment may guarantee economic stability, Pakistan still needs to keep an eye on its foreign policy decision-making power which is at stake because of huge Chinese investment under China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Lumina Literati Publishing, 2025

The book examines the historical relationship between China and Pakistan, focusing on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a major component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The excerpts cover the geopolitical context, economic benefits and challenges, and strategic implications of CPEC for both countries, along with a detailed look at CPEC projects. The analysis includes discussions of energy projects, infrastructure development, and the importance of Gwadar Port. Finally, the text explores potential risks and challenges to CPEC’s success, such as security concerns and regional instability.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Economic Rationale and Key Challenges, 2019

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) offers a massive platform for China and Pakistan to promote regional connectivity, trade growth, and infrastructure development. Pakistan views CPEC not only as an infrastructure and economic development program as well as a key initiative with wide-ranging implications for the country's domestic economy and social makeup, but also a potential "game changer" in the regional situation. However, this project also faces grave internal and external challenges, such as route controversy, militancy, religious extrem-ism, competing narratives, media propaganda, debt-trap accusation, and synergy of institutions. To make CPEC a sustainable project that benefits Pakistan and the whole of South Asia in the long run, both the Chinese and Pakistani governments need to address these challenges through greater transparency of the CPEC projects, as well as more consultation with all stakeholders involved, so as to ease their concerns about the profound implications of the grand project. https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S2377740019500131 Zahid Khan is a PhD scholar at the Center for Global Studies, Shanghai University. He can be reached at [email protected].

China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, 2017

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will not only enhance the strategic cooperation between Beijing and Islamabad, but also open up new avenues of economic development for the people of Balochistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has declared that Gwadar will be connected with main cities to expose the full potential of Balochistan. According to statistics from the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, Balochistan is estimated to receive $7.1 billion initial investments through the CPEC, ranking second in its share from the total of $46 billion. The CPEC will connect Pakistan to Central Asia via the Eurasian Land Bridge planned under China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. The Pakistani government plans to hook up the country with Central Asia via Termiz (Uzbekistan), making Balochistan the central point of economic activities in the region. Balochistan, in general, and Gwadar, in particular, will hopefully become the linchpin of the CPEC. Significantly rich in mi...

2017

Though the 21st century was considered hallmark economic globalization and trade partnership but recent developments of Brexit and President Trump's protective and antimultilateral trading have challenged the established liberal consensus on economic globalization. This paper would argue that on the contrary the case of CPEC is the recent initiative from China and Pakistan which is giving boost to the new wave of economic Globalization as the economic corridor China projected the Belt and Road as a road to prosperity whereas isolation brings backwardness, will be more true with regard to CPEC. For Pakistan it is a game-changer as it is a framework of regional connectivity. CPEC will not only benefit China and Pakistan but will have positive impact on Iran, Afghanistan, India, Central Asian Republic, and the region. The enhancement of geographical linkages will further the economic globalization as against the antiglobalization moves.