Content area
Full text
Abstract
China and Pakistan have agreed to build China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which will bring peace and prosperity in South Asia. This corridor will incorporate a 2,000 kilometer transport link between Kashgar in northwestern China to the little used Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea near the border with Iran via roads, railways and pipelines. It will improve the economy, trade, regional connectivity, energy, infrastructure and people to people contacts in both countries. This study analyzes the challenges and benefits for Pakistan, after the implementation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Introduction
The 21st century has established regional and global strategic environment around the world. This strategic environment encourages geo-economical and geo-strategic partnership among countries. State interests and national security both are important parts of this partnership. States have defined their interests and have reshaped their policies because they have realized that it is not possible for them to defend their interests only with their own capacity. "High- level talks and diplomatic consultations are the hallmark of States ever-growing cooperation in multi-faceted fields, such as joint economic ventures, infrastructure and development programmes, and in the defense, commercial and economic fields.1- China was regarded sleeping giant in previous decades. But now, the country is playing an important role not in Asian region but in the world. "Being the largest country in the world population-wise and fast becoming economically as big as it is demographically, it has finally succumbed to the charms of multilateral diplomacy which it had been known to ignore during the previous decades. The other reason behind the changes in the Chinese foreign strategy is economic stemming from energy demands."2
President Hu Jintao, who took office in 2003, while explaining his country's "Good Neighbour Policy stated as part of a new strategy of peaceful development," which China sought to promote an interdependent, rather than competitive, relationship with its neighboring countries and the World. Regarding to this apparition, China has turned its nearest regions into a new regional trade hub.
Regional connectivity is one of the most important aspects of Pakistan foreign policy. Pakistan has also been trying to cultivate good relations with its neighboring countries. Maintaining good relationship with China has been part of Pakistan's foreign policy, as China is Pakistan's strategic partner, it helps Pakistan...