China-Pakistan corridor has more hype than substance

Subject

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Significance

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) proposes to connect China's Kashgar city to Pakistan's Gwadar port in Balochistan on the edge of the Persian Gulf. The CPEC has been called a "game changer" by its Pakistani supporters, not least because it is linked to a promise of 46 billion dollars in Chinese investment. Amid this euphoria, some question its viability and potential positive impact on Pakistan.

Impacts

• China's support for Pakistan's likely entry into the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will help solidify bilateral cooperation.
• This is likely to make India-Pakistan ties even harder to improve.
• Security for Chinese workers within Pakistan will be unreliable despite the Pakistan military's counterterrorism efforts.