Examine the Challenges of CPEC for Pakistan and China. What are the Implications of CPEC for India?.
CPEC
- CPEC is a3,000-km long route of infrastructure projects connecting China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Gwadar Port in the western province of Balochistan in Pakistan.
- It is a bilateral project between Pakistan and China, intended to promote connectivity across Pakistan with a network of highways, railways, and pipelines accompanied by energy, industrial, and other infrastructure development projects.
- It will pave the way forChina to access the Middle East and Africa from Gwadar Port, enabling China to access the Indian Ocean and in return China will support development projects in Pakistan to overcome the latter’s energy crises and stabilising its faltering economy.
- CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
- The BRI, launched in 2013, aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.
Challenges
- Pakistan:
- Regional Imbalances:CPEC is focused on certain areas and provinces in Pakistan, leading to concerns about regional imbalances in development and investment.
- Debt Trap:Pakistan''s debt levels have become a concern due to the large scale of projects financed by loans from China and the ability to repay these loans. China is now Pakistan''s largest creditor, with Pakistan owing 27.4% of its total external debt to China in 2021, according to the IMF.
- Environmental Impacts:The large-scale infrastructure projects that make up CPEC could have negative environmental impacts, including deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and air and water pollution.
- Social Implications: The development of the project has led to concerns about the displacement of local communities and the loss of their traditional livelihoods, as well as the impact of increased migration and population pressures in the region.
- Sovereignty Concerns:Some have raised concerns about China''s increasing influence in Pakistan and the potential for the project to compromise the country''s sovereignty and independence.
- China:
- Security Concerns:The security of Chinese workers and the stability of the region pose a major challenge for the success of CPEC.
- Political Opposition:There has been opposition from certain political parties and groups who are concerned about the perceived lack of transparency and the potential long-term implications of the project on Pakistan''s sovereignty.
Looking ahead
- India should leverage its strategic location and further work with like-minded countries to participate in multilateral initiatives like,
- The Asia-Africa Growth Corridor is an India-Japan economic cooperation agreement, it can provide India great strategic benefits and counter China.
- Blue Dot network, which is being promoted by the USA.
- It is a multi-stakeholder initiative to bring together governments, the private sector and civil society to promote high-quality, trusted standards for global infrastructure development.
- It is expected to serve as a globally recognized evaluation and certification system for roads, ports and bridges with a focus on theIndo-Pacific region.
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