CHINA’S STRATEGIC NARRATIVES ON THE CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (CPEC), 2015–2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55733/jpcs.v6i1.102Keywords:
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese strategic narratives, regional integration, Pakistan-China relations, security cooperation.Abstract
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – has generated significant academic discourse and policy debates considering its implication to transform regional dynamics and foster economic growth. This article investigates how Chinese official rhetoric had depicted CPEC during 2015–2020, based on the analysis of Chinese state narrative in government white papers, policy statements, and articles in media. Analysis revealed that Chinese propaganda depicted CPEC as a cooperative and mutually beneficial project, with an emphasis on such narratives of partnership and economic modernization, referred to through themes of infrastructure development in Pakistan. And the narrative equally underscored China's larger strategic objectives, painting CPEC as an element of its conception of multilateralism, global connectedness and regional integration under the BRI. Security concerns in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were acknowledged, but Chinese statements emphasized working with Pakistani authorities to drive the project forward. The results demonstrate that in addition to economic purposes, CPEC also acts as a platform for China to promote its image of overall constructive power and strategic influence-building in South Asia
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